Definition

Noun: A major tranquillizer is a type of powerful psychiatric medication (tranquilizer) primarily used to treat severe mental and emotional disorders, such as psychosis, when a significant calming or sedating effect is necessary.

Usage

This term is used in medical and psychiatric contexts to describe a specific class of drugs. It is a formal, technical term. * Doctors may prescribe a major tranquillizer to manage acute psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or severe agitation. * The use of major tranquillizers revolutionized the treatment of serious mental illnesses in the mid-20th century.

Examples

• The patient's acute episode required the administration of a major tranquillizer.
• Major tranquillizers, also known as antipsychotics, are a cornerstone of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia.
• Compared to minor tranquillizers, major tranquillizers have a more potent effect on core psychotic symptoms.

Advanced Usage

• The term "major tranquillizer" is sometimes considered dated in clinical practice, with "antipsychotic" being the more modern and precise preferred term. However, it is still used and understood in historical and certain descriptive contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Antipsychotic (noun): The more contemporary and commonly used synonym for major tranquillizer.
• Neuroleptic (noun): Another technical term, often used interchangeably with antipsychotic and major tranquillizer, emphasizing the drug's effect on the nervous system.
• Major tranquilizer (noun): An alternative spelling (American English often uses "tranquilizer," while British English may use "tranquilliser/tranquillizer").

Synonyms

• Antipsychotic
• Neuroleptic

Antonyms

• Minor tranquillizer: A different class of drug (e.g., benzodiazepines) used primarily for anxiety, not psychosis.
• Stimulant: A substance that increases activity in the body and nervous system, having the opposite effect of a tranquillizer.

Noun

1. tranquilizer used to treat psychotic conditions when a calming effect is desired