Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Word of the Day

Blog: Words at Play

Dictionary

finasteride

noun fi·nas·te·ride \fə-ˈnas-tə-ˌrīd\

Definition of FINASTERIDE

: a nitrogenous steroid derivative C₂₃H₃₆N₂O₂ that is used especially to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and to increase hair growth in male-pattern baldness

ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of FINASTERIDE

fina- (of unknown origin) + testosterone + amide

First Known Use: 1989

Medical Dictionary

finasteride

noun fi·nas·te·ride \fə-ˈnas-tə-ˌrīd\

Medical Definition of FINASTERIDE

: a nitrogenous steroid derivative C₂₃H₃₆N₂O₂ that is used especially to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and to increase hair growth in male-pattern baldness and that acts by inhibiting the enzymatic conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone—see propecia, proscar

Learn More About FINASTERIDE

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "finasteride"

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: finbackPrevious Word in the Dictionary: financingAll Words Near: finasteride

ADVERTISEMENT

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up finasteride? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

View Seen & Heard Highlights from Around the Site

Test Your Vocabulary!

10 Charming Words for Nasty People

Put-downs with flair

When "Literally" isn't, well, literal

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

Know what this is?

Test your vocab with our fun, fast game

Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears

Join Us

Merriam-Webster
on Facebook

Merriam-Webster
on Twitter

Bookstore: Digital and Print

Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.

See All

Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries

© Merriam-Webster, Incorporated