Continual use of and physiological dependence upon certain drugs, addiction; drug habituation; drug abuse.
Generally used synonymously with drug dependence, sometimes used to mean physical drug dependence, often wrongly assumed to be synonymous with drug abuse, and very irregular in meaning.
A person who is physically and mentally dependent on taking a particular drug regularly.
The fact of being mentally and physically dependent on taking a particular drug regularly.
Condition marked by an overwhelming desire to take a drug to which one has become habituated because of long-term use and by the development of withdrawal symptoms (mental and/ or physical) if the drug is not taken. Heroin and barbiturates are common addictive drugs.
A disorder involving physical and psychological dependence on a drug or drugs and characterized by tolerance (the need to consume larger and larger amounts of the drug to feel its effects), physical symptoms if the drug is withdrawn, or both. Drug addiction poses serious health risks because of its long-term physical effects, disruption of family and work life, and the symptoms of drug withdrawal, which can range from highly unpleasant to fatal. In most cases, the disorder begins as drug abuse — the use of illegal drugs, or the use of a legal drug in excessive quantities or for purposes other than those for which it is intended — and progresses over time into addiction.
A compulsive and maladaptive dependence on a drug that produces adverse psychological, physical, economic, social, or legal ramifications.