generic drug

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun 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.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun when the patent protection for a brand-name drug expires generic versions of the drug can be offered for sale if the FDA agrees