off-label

adjective

off-la·​bel ˈȯf-ˌlā-bəl How to pronounce off-label (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a drug used to treat a condition for which it has not been officially approved

Examples of off-label in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite its failure for this indication, Piper Sandler thinks psychiatrists will still prescribe it that way off-label. Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025 Health professionals sometimes also prescribe SSRIs for off-label uses including to help with binge eating disorder, fibromyalgia, premature ejaculation, autism and vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 However, despite the lack of evidence, many doctors began prescribing GLP-1 medications off-label for their type 1 patients, especially those who also have obesity. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025 In the early 2000s, people interested in similar cosmetic transformations often turned to iris implantation, an invasive and dangerous off-label operation then available in a few countries outside of the U.S. Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-label

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-label was in 1987

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Cite this Entry

“Off-label.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-label. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

off-label

adjective
off-la·​bel ˌȯf-ˌlā-bəl How to pronounce off-label (audio)
: of, relating to, or being an approved drug legally prescribed or a medical device legally used by a physician for a purpose (as the treatment of children or of a certain disease or condition) for which it has not been specifically approved (as by the United States Food and Drug Administration)
the off-label use of oral contraceptives to treat dysmenorrhea
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