Meaning of sedative

sed•a•tive

Pronunciation: (sed'u-tiv), [key]
— adj.
  1. tending to calm or soothe.
  2. allaying irritability or excitement; assuaging pain; lowering functional activity.
—n.
  1. a sedative drug or agent.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
sedation Seddon