Standard Lemma guide

Valium

noun · 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

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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvæl.i.əm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈvæl.i.əm/
  • General-American: /ˈvæl.jəm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æliəm
  • CMU ARPABET: V EY1 L IY0 AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The drug diazepam.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: trademark

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 Valium pill.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a tranquilizer (trade name Valium) used to relieve anxiety and relax muscles; acts by enhancing the inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitter GABA; can also be used as an anticonvulsant drug in cases of nerve agent poisoning

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diazepam

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: benzodiazepine

History

Etymology

A marketing coinage.