Final answer:
An anesthetic is a drug that induces temporary loss of sensation or awareness. It can be divided into general anesthetics and local anesthetics.
Step-by-step explanation:
An anesthetic is a drug used to induce anesthesia, which is a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. It can be divided into two broad classes: general anesthetics, which result in reversible loss of consciousness, and local anesthetics, which cause reversible loss of sensation for a limited region of the body.