1. to treat or classify (a condition, behavior, or social issue) as a medical problem requiring medical intervention
Usage: third-person singular present tense of medicalize; often used critically to describe the tendency to apply medical frameworks to non-medical phenomena

Examples

• The pharmaceutical industry medicalizes normal aging by marketing treatments for conditions that were once considered part of life.
• Critics argue that society medicalizes childhood behavior that is simply part of normal development.
• Modern medicine sometimes medicalizes grief, treating it as a disorder rather than a natural emotional response.
• The trend medicalizes social problems that might be better addressed through education and policy.
• When schools medicalize shyness in children, they may unnecessarily prescribe medication instead of offering support.
• The documentary explores how the healthcare system medicalizes poverty-related health issues.