In other words, (this will make sense after the link is read) androgenic means actions at the androgen receptor (AR) OUTSIDE the skeletal muscle, e.g. hair, prostate, skin, etc. The term androgen got applied because these are also the main secondary sex characteristics and side effects that develop in puberty, when androgen activity spikes. Anabolic means activity at the androgen receptor WITHIN the skeletal muscle. These are slippy terms though, because some people say "androgenic substances" to refer to anabolic steroids in general because we are still talking about activity at the androgen receptor in either case. Except for non-androgen receptor anabolics: dbol, winny, etc. These have little measured activity at the androgen receptor anywhere, at all. They presumably act at various glucocorticoid receptors, explaining why they are often more effective in ectomorphs, and indirectly increase androgen activity in many mysterious ways. This is because older, "messy" drugs are often less well understood then newer, receptor-specific substances, like primo, e.g. These are three basic terms: anabolic, androgenic, AR anabolic, and non-AR anabolic.