To remove or eliminate narcotic substances from something, or to treat a person to eliminate their dependence on narcotics.
From de- (remove) + narcotize (to make narcotic, from Greek narke 'numbness'). The verb was formed by adding -ize to emphasize the action of removing narcotic influence.
This medical term represents humanity's evolving relationship with drugs—we moved from simply criminalizing addiction to actually trying to chemically and psychologically denarcotize people through treatment programs.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.