What is the Origin of the word Addiction

The word "addiction" comes from the Latin word addictus, which is the past participle of addicere, meaning "to give over" or "to devote." In ancient Rome, addicere had legal connotations—to assign or surrender a person to someone else, often as a form of slavery or servitude due to debt.

Evolution of the Term:

1. Latin (Ancient Rome):

   • Addicere = to assign, devote, or surrender.

   • Addictus = a person who was "given over" to another, often involuntarily.

2. Medieval Usage:

   • The term began to carry a more figurative sense of being strongly devoted to something, such as habits or behaviors.

3. Modern English (17th century onward):

   • "Addiction" began to be used in a moral or behavioral sense, such as a person being "addicted to vice."

   • By the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with the rise of medical and psychological sciences, "addiction" came to refer specifically to compulsive engagement with substances (like alcohol or drugs) or behaviors despite harmful consequences.

So, originally a legal term, "addiction" evolved into a psychological and medical concept describing compulsive, harmful patterns of behavior. For more information about online an online suboxone clinic appointment, please contact us today 443-559-8354