treatment
noun
What treatment means
Medical care given to a person to cure an illness or reduce pain.
She is receiving treatment for a back problem.
The treatment worked very well.
Test yourself
Five questions about treatment
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does treatment mean?
Treatment is everything doctors and nurses do to make a sick or injured person better, such as giving medicine, doing an operation or giving exercises.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
The tests show what is wrong with your knee. Now the doctor chooses the medicine and exercises that will make it better. She is deciding on your…
The care that makes you better, such as medicine and exercises, is your treatment. The diagnosis came first, from the tests, and it only says what is wrong.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
She flew to Germany to receive ___ for a rare blood disease.
You receive treatment for a disease when doctors care for you to make you better. Fatigue and insomnia are health problems, not care, and hygiene means keeping clean.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which word is closest in meaning to treatment?
Treatment is the care that a doctor or nurse gives you, so care is the closest word. An illness, pain or a symptom is the problem, not the thing that helps you.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses treatment correctly?
You have treatment for a problem, so for is the right preposition, not against. Treatment is a noun; the verb is treat, as in the doctor is treating him or he is being treated.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Treatment in a sentence
5 more examples of treatment in everyday situations.
- At the clinic
The treatment takes about an hour, and you can drive home afterward.
- In the news
A new treatment for the disease is now being tested in several hospitals.
- Family news
Grandpa is doing much better since he started treatment in March.
- Insurance
Check whether your insurance covers the treatment before you book it.
- A warning
Do not stop the treatment early, even if you start to feel better.
How to use treatment
Treatment is often uncountable: “medical treatment”. You can say a treatment for something: a treatment for cancer.
The verb is treat: “The doctor treated my knee.”
Forms
- treatmentsplural
- treatverb
- treatedpast and past participle
- treating-ing form
Patterns
- treatment for an illness
- receive / get / need treatment
- start / stop treatment
- a course of treatment
Common mistakes with treatment
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NotI follow a treatment against the flu.
SayI am having treatment for the flu.
The preposition after treatment is for, as in treatment for the flu, and we usually say that you have or get treatment.
Treatment or cure or therapy?
- treatment or cure
- A treatment is the care you get to help with an illness; a cure ends the illness completely. A treatment can reduce pain without being a cure.
- treatment or therapy
- Therapy is one type of treatment, often with regular sessions, such as physical therapy or talking to a therapist; treatment is the general word for any medical care.
Treatment is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Treatment word family and collocations
The words that go with treatment, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- medical treatment
- receive treatment
- a treatment for
- treatment plan
- emergency treatment
Word family
- treatment (noun)
- treat (verb)
Similar words
- care
Questions about treatment
Is treatment countable?
It can be both. It is uncountable for medical care in general, as in “She needs treatment”, and countable for a particular method, as in “There are two treatments for this condition.”
What is the verb of treatment?
The verb is treat. A doctor treats a patient or an illness, as in “The infection was treated with antibiotics.”
Does treatment have other meanings?
Yes. It can mean the way you behave toward someone, as in “unfair treatment”, or a process used on something, such as water treatment or a hair treatment.
The word before
Do you still remember storage?
One question about the word from 19 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does storage mean?
Storage is the room a phone, computer or online service has for keeping your things, such as photos, videos and apps. When it is full, you cannot save more.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More health words
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C1
fracture
A break or crack in a bone. -
C1
shiver
To shake slightly because you are cold, ill or afraid. -
B2
prescription
A doctor’s written instruction that lets you get a particular medicine from a pharmacy. -
C1
chronic
Lasting for a long time or happening again and again, usually describing an illness. -
C1
therapy
Treatment for a physical or mental problem, often involving regular sessions with a trained professional. -
B2
fever
A body temperature that is higher than normal, usually because of an infection.