# sedate vs sedative

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### sedate
*adjective · IPA /sɪˈdeɪt/ · frequency rank #39,081*
Remaining composed and dignified, and avoiding too much activity or excitement.

### sedative
*noun · IPA /ˈsɛdətɪv/ · frequency rank #29,453*
An agent or drug that sedates, having a calming or soothing effect, or inducing sleep.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sedate-vs-sedative