- something that occurs incidentally
- an incidental and, often, undesirable effect resulting from a medication or medical treatment
side effect
side effectWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"side effect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect>.
APA Style
side effect. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect
side effect
noun
A peripheral or secondary effect, especially an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or therapy.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"side effect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect>.
APA Style
side effect. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect
Noun
(plural side effects)
- (idiomatic) An unintended consequence of any action in addition to the intended consequence of that action.
- (idiomatic, medicine) An adverse effect, an unintended consequence of a drug or therapy; usually not a beneficial effect.
- (computing) A change in state caused by a function call (typically "side-effect").
- Eiffel is somewhat purist about insisting that functions have no side effects.
Usage notes
- Adjectives often applied to "side effect": mild, moderate, serious, severe, dangerous, unpleasant, debilitating, negative, positive, nasty, bad, horrible, terrible, painful, unexpected, unintended, strong, obvious, etc.
Noun
(plural side-effects)
- Alternative spelling of side effect.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"side effect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect>.
APA Style
side effect. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect
side effect - Medical Definition
n.
A peripheral or secondary effect, especially an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or therapy.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"side effect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect>.
APA Style
side effect. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Side-effect
