contraindicar
contraindicate
Definition & meaning
Contraindicar is a Spanish verb meaning to contraindicate: to advise against a treatment, medication, procedure, or activity because it may be harmful or unsuitable in particular circumstances.
It is mainly used in medical and technical contexts:
- El medicamento está contraindicado durante el embarazo. — The medication is contraindicated during pregnancy.
- El médico contraindica este tratamiento en pacientes con problemas cardíacos. — The doctor advises against this treatment for patients with heart problems.
It can also mean to indicate that something should not be used or done because of a specific risk or condition.
Grammar & word origin
- Part of speech: verb
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Transitivity: usually transitive, although it is also commonly used in passive or impersonal constructions
- Past participle: contraindicado
- Related noun: contraindicación , meaning “contraindication”
The word is formed from:
Thus, its literal sense is “to indicate against” or “to indicate that something should not be done.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- desaconsejar — to advise against; more general and less specifically medical
- prohibir — to prohibit; stronger, suggesting that something is formally forbidden
- impedir — to prevent; emphasizes stopping an action rather than judging it medically unsuitable
- desestimar — to reject or dismiss; broader and not necessarily related to health
Contraindicar usually refers to a professional or medical assessment that something is unsuitable or potentially dangerous, but not always absolutely forbidden.
Antonyms
- indicar — to indicate, prescribe, or recommend; the closest direct opposite in medical contexts
- recomendar — to recommend; expresses positive advice rather than a warning against something
- autorizar — to authorize or permit; focuses on granting permission
- aprobar — to approve; broader than indicar and not necessarily medical
Common phrases & collocations
- contraindicar un medicamento — to contraindicate a medication
- contraindicar un tratamiento — to advise against a treatment
- contraindicar una intervención — to contraindicate an intervention
- estar contraindicado — to be contraindicated
- estar contraindicado para — to be contraindicated for
- estar contraindicado en caso de — to be contraindicated in cases of
- contraindicación absoluta — absolute contraindication
- contraindicación relativa — relative contraindication
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Examples
Este medicamento puede estar contraindicado para niños.verb
This medicine may be contraindicated for children.
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