generic drug

ge`ner´ic drug`

A medication sold under its generic name; - usually legal only after the patent has expired, or if no patent was issued for the substance. Generic drugs are usually less expensive than proprietary medications.

Noun

generic drug - when the patent protection for a brand-name drug expires generic versions of the drug can be offered for sale if the FDA agrees; "generic drugs are usually cheaper than brand-name drugs"

Antonyms:

brand-name drug, proprietary drug - a drug that has a trade name and is protected by a patent (can be produced and sold only by the company holding the patent)

brand-name drug, drug, proprietary drug