HealthAugust 26, 2026

deintensify

dee-in-TEN-suh-fy

Definition

To reduce the number of medications or the dosage levels used in a treatment regimen.

Etymology

Formed from the prefix 'de-' (meaning to reverse or remove) and 'intensify' (to increase in strength or degree), which itself comes from Latin 'intensus' meaning stretched or tight.

In the news

In this article, deintensification refers to lowering medication usage for older adults whose blood sugar levels are already below recommended targets, which is important to avoid the risks of overtreatment and hypoglycemia.

Diabetes Medications Adjustments for Older Adults Lower Than ADA Guidelines

Read the full article ↗

Drug Topics

Related words

aerosolization

The process of converting a substance into a fine spray or mist of particles small enough…

Health

biofilms

A dense, protective community of bacteria encased in a self-produced matrix of slime,…

Health

biowearable

A wearable electronic device designed to continuously monitor, track, or analyze…

Health

contractility

The capacity of a muscle to shorten or contract in response to a stimulus.

Health

cotransporter

A type of protein that moves two or more different molecules or ions across a cell…

Health

deintensification

The clinical process of reducing the dosage or number of medications prescribed to a…

Health

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.