Standard Lemma guide

etanercept

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

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  • General-American: /ɪˈtæn.ɚˌsɛpt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A protein drug that binds to and blocks the action of tumor necrosis factor and is administered by injection to treat various inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis). It is a dimeric protein consisting of the ligand-binding portion of a human receptor for tumor necrosis factor linked to the basal, heavy chain, portion of IgG which determines the immune response to bound antigen. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology using hamster ovary cells and is marketed under the trademark Enbrel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a genetically engineered anti-TNF compound (trade name Enbrel) consisting of receptors that bind TNF; it is injected twice a week in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Enbrel

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: anti-TNF compound

History

Etymology

From eta- (of unknown origin) + -nercept (“TNF receptor ligand”).