Irritant vs Irritative - What's the difference?

irritant | irritative |


As adjectives the difference between irritant and irritative

is that irritant is causing irritation or inflammation while irritative is serving to excite or irritate.

As a noun irritant

is any medication designed to cause irritation.

irritant

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Causing irritation or inflammation.
  • (legal, Scotland) Rendering null and void; conditionally invalidating.
  • * Hayward
    • The states elected Harry, Duke of Anjou, for their king, with this clause irritant ; that, if he did violate any part of his oath, the people should owe him no allegiance.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any medication designed to cause irritation
  • A source of irritation.

    • irritative

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • serving to excite or irritate
  • accompanied with, or produced by, increased action or irritation
    • an irritative fever
    (Webster 1913) ----