off-label
adjective
off-la·bel
ˈȯf-ˌlā-bəl 
: 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
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
Decades later, when over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl became popular, some parents began using them, off-label, as a sleep aid.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Sometimes they are also used off-label, for treatment-resistant depression, or catatonia, a syndrome that can cause a patient to move in unusual ways, become immobile or stop talking.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
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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
Decades later, when over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl became popular, some parents began using them, off-label, as a sleep aid.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Sometimes they are also used off-label, for treatment-resistant depression, or catatonia, a syndrome that can cause a patient to move in unusual ways, become immobile or stop talking.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-label
Cite this Entry
“Off-label.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-label. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
off-label
adjective
off-la·bel
ˌȯf-ˌlā-bəl
: 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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