Standard Lemma guide

methylphenidate

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.

  • /ˌmɛθ əlˈfɛn ɪˌdeɪt/
  • /ˌmɛθ əlˈfi nɪˌdeɪt/
  • /ˌmɛθ əlˈfɪ nəˌdɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪt

1

noun

Meaning 1

A stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, better known by the trade name Ritalin

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

central nervous system stimulant (trade name Ritalin) used in the treatment of narcolepsy in adults and attention deficit disorder in children

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Ritalin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stimulant, stimulant drug, excitant

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 哌甲酯 (pàijiǎzhǐ) — stimulant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 哌醋甲酯 (pàicùjiǎzhǐ) — stimulant
  • Finnish: metyylifenidaatti — stimulant
  • French: méthylphénidate — stimulant
  • Icelandic: metýlfenídat — stimulant
  • Italian: metilfenidato — stimulant
  • Polish: metylofenidat — stimulant
  • Turkish: metilfenidat — stimulant