Standard Lemma guide

over-the-counter

adj · 3 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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1

adj

Meaning 1

Of medicine and other treatments, legal for sale or distribution without the requirement of a prescription.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

Examples

  • over-the-counter drug, over-the-counter medicine

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: OTC

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary, and denoting any market where items such as stocks or currency are bought and sold by direct arrangement between counterparties, or through a private broker, rather than on a public stock exchange or other exchange.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: business, finance

Examples

  • over-the-counter trade, over-the-counter market

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: OTC

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

(of securities) not traded on a stock exchange

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • over-the-counter stocks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: otc

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

An attributive form of over the counter.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: de venda lliure — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Catalan: sense recepta — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Chinese Mandarin: 非處方的 /非处方的 (fēi chǔfāng de) — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Chinese Mandarin: OTC — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Czech: volně prodejný — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Finnish: reseptivapaa — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • French: en vente libre — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • German: rezeptfrei — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Hungarian: vény nélkül kapható — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Hungarian: nem vényköteles — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Icelandic: lausasala — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Icelandic: ólyfseðilsskyldur — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Italian: da banco — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Japanese: 一般用医薬品 (ippan'yō-iyakuhin) — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Polish: dostępny bez recepty — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Romanian: fără rețetă — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Romanian: cu vânzare liberă — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Russian: без реце́пта (bez recépta) — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Russian: безрецепту́рный (bezreceptúrnyj) — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Spanish: sin receta — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Spanish: de venta libre — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Spanish: de venta directa — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Swedish: receptfri — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Turkish: reçetesiz — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Vietnamese: không kê đơn — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Xibe: ᠣᡠ ᡨᡞ ᠰᡟᡞ (oo ti syi) — pharmacy: not requiring a prescription
  • Chinese Mandarin: 場外 /场外 (chǎngwài, chángwài) — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • Finnish: suora- — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • French: de gré à gré — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • German: außerbörslich — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • German: im Direkttausch — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • Romanian: extrabursier — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
  • Spanish: extrabursátil — involving direct interaction between two parties without an intermediary
Real reading context

over-the-counter in complete knowledge articles