- Enter a word for the dictionary definition. From The
Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Officinal \Of*fic"i*nal\, a. [F., fr. L. officina a workshop,
contr. fr. opificina, fr. opifex a workman; opus work + facere
to make or do.] 1. Used in a shop, or belonging to it. [Obs. or
R.] --Johnson. [1913 Webster] 2. (Pharm.) Kept in stock by
apothecaries; -- said of such drugs and medicines as may be
obtained without special preparation or compounding; not
magistral. [1913 Webster] Note: This term is often interchanged
with official, but in strict use officinal drugs are not
necessarily official. See Official, a., 3. [1913 Webster]