Meaning & use
non-habit-forming
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparablemedical
Not causing a person to become dependent on or addicted to it, so it can be stopped without craving.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a non-habit-forming pill, the tablet is non-habit-forming.
Patterns
- a non-habit-forming drug
- non-habit-forming and safe
The pharmacist said the sleeping aid was non-habit-forming.
These cough drops are non-habit-forming, so you can stop whenever you like.
He asked for a non-habit-forming painkiller after the operation.
Common combinations
- non-habit-forming medication
- The doctor prescribed a non-habit-forming medication for his anxiety.
- claimed to be non-habit-forming
- The product is claimed to be non-habit-forming, but check with your doctor.
- safe and non-habit-forming
- The label says the herbal tea is safe and non-habit-forming.
- non-habit-forming sleep aid
- She chose a non-habit-forming sleep aid for the trip.
Synonyms and how they differ
- non-addictive
- Non-addictive is the more common and direct word, while non-habit-forming sounds gentler and more like a label.
- safe
- Safe is much broader and says nothing about dependence.
- harmless
- Harmless means it does no damage, but a substance can be harmless and still be habit-forming.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: non-habit-forming or non-toxic?
non-habit-forming vs non-toxic
Non-toxic means not poisonous, which is a different question from whether something is habit-forming.
Practice
A label says a tablet is non-habit-forming. What is the claim?
Choose one answer.
Non-habit-forming speaks only about dependence. It does not promise a cure, an absence of side effects or a single dose.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-habit-forming”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.