remedy

Remedy refers to any means of counteracting a problem, disease, or unwanted condition. In everyday language it denotes a treatment that alleviates or cures. The term originates from Latin remedium, meaning “a means of restoring health,” and entered English via Old French remede.

In medicine, a remedy is an intervention that mitigates symptoms or cures disease, ranging from traditional home remedies to modern pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures. The efficacy and safety of remedies are evaluated through scientific research, and regulated remedies require approval by authorities before clinical use or sale.

In law, a remedy is a means by which a party enforces a right or compensates for a wrong. Legal remedies include damages, injunctions, specific performance, rescission, and restitution. Equitable remedies may involve injunctions or orders directing a party to act or refrain from acting, rather than monetary compensation.

Other uses extend beyond health and law. In environmental policy, remediation or remedial actions aim to remove pollution or correct contamination. In education and social services, remedial programs seek to remedy skill or knowledge gaps. The terms remedy, treatment, and cure can overlap but have distinct connotations depending on context; a remedy may relieve symptoms or rectify a problem without guaranteeing a complete cure.

See also: treatment, therapy, cure, intervention, remediation. In contemporary usage, remedy is sometimes used interchangeably with medicine or drug in everyday speech, though technically they may refer to different concepts.