A medication that calms down or relaxes someone who is anxious, nervous, or agitated.
From Latin 'tranquillus' meaning 'calm' plus the English suffix '-izer' (something that makes). Created in the 20th century as psychiatric medications became more common.
The discovery of tranquilizers in the 1950s revolutionized mental hospitals—suddenly patients who had been violent or extremely distressed could be helped, though some people worried about using medication instead of other treatments.
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