APA Dictionary of Psychology

n. a drug used in the treatment of anxiety, mild behavioral agitation, and insomnia. Formerly called minor tranquilizers, anxiolytics can also be used as adjunctive agents in the treatment of depression, panic disorder, and several other disorders. The most widely used are the benzodiazepines. Other drugs, such as certain SSRIs, have also been shown to have anxiolytic effects. See also azapirone; sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic drug.