Standard Lemma guide

atorvastatin

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /əˌtɔːvəˈstætɪn/
  • US: /əˈtɔːɹvəˌstætɪn/
  • US: /əˌtɔːɹvəˈstætɪn/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A statin used to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. Trade names include Lipitor among others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an oral drug (trade name Lipitor) that is effective in lowering triglycerides; potent in reducing LDL cholesterol because higher doses can be given

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Lipitor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lipid-lowering medicine, lipid-lowering medication, statin drug, statin

History

Etymology

From ator- + -vastatin (“HMG CoA reductase inhibitor”). The prefix probably from Spanish atorar (“to clog”), wherein the verb suffix -ar was taken off. Thus, the role is "to inhibit the clogging (of cholesterol)".