Meaning & use
dosage
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Meanings
nouncountablemedical
The amount of a medicine taken at one time and how often it is taken.
Grammar: Countable when talking about a particular plan: a high dosage, the correct dosage.
Patterns
- the correct dosage
- a high/low dosage
- dosage of something
The label gives the correct dosage for adults.
Taking a higher dosage without asking a doctor can be dangerous.
The dosage is two tablets every six hours.
noununcountablemedicaltechnical
The act or process of giving out a measured amount of something, especially medicine.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the process: careful dosage, the dosage of the drug.
Patterns
- the dosage of something
- careful dosage
Nurses are trained in the careful dosage of painkillers.
The dosage of the vaccine must be adjusted for children.
Word forms
| plural | dosages |
|---|
Common combinations
- recommended dosage
- Never exceed the recommended dosage on the package.
- high dosage
- A high dosage may cause side effects.
- dosage form
- Tablets and syrups are different dosage forms.
- adjust the dosage
- The doctor may adjust the dosage after a few weeks.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: dosage or dose? dosage or dossier?
dosage vs dose
Dose is one amount taken at a time; dosage is the amount plus how often it is taken.
dosage vs dossier
Dossier means a collection of documents about a person or subject, not an amount of medicine.
Practice
Choose the best word: The doctor changed the ______ to two pills a day instead of one.
Choose one answer.
Dosage refers to the whole plan of how much and how often, so it fits the change from one pill to two a day. Dose would mean just one single amount, and dossier and dosa are unrelated words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dosage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.