pharmaceutical

1 of 2

adjective

phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-kəl How to pronounce pharmaceutical (audio)
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutically adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2

noun

: a medicinal drug

Examples of pharmaceutical in a Sentence

Adjective lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry Noun some pharmaceuticals can be quite risky unless taken correctly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Two investment and analysis companies (No. 3 KKR and No. 4 S&P Global) share space with a pharmaceutical company making significant strides in deadly diseases (No. 6 Vertex Pharmaceuticals), a maker of medical devices (No. 9 Boston Scientific) and a builder of homes (No. 12 Taylor Morrison). Heather Newman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Prior to entering politics, Salinas earned a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Kentucky, according to her Linkedin, and has been a researcher at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as well as at her alma mater. James Factora, Them, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
Johnson & Johnson’s revenue growth is being led by higher sales for both of its segments – pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Trefis Team, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 Such moves have seen the group refocus pharmaceutical division activities on four therapeutic areas — cardiovascular-renal-metabolic diseases, immunology, neuroscience and oncology. Greg McKenna, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pharmaceutical 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin pharmaceuticus, from Greek pharmakeutikos, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs — more at pharmacy

First Known Use

Adjective

1636, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharmaceutical was in 1636

Dictionary Entries Near pharmaceutical

Cite this Entry

“Pharmaceutical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmaceutical. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pharmaceutical

1 of 2 adjective
phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl How to pronounce pharmaceutical (audio)
: of, relating to, or involved in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of medicinal drugs
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutically adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2 noun
: a drug or preparation used in medicine

Medical Definition

pharmaceutical

1 of 2 adjective
phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl How to pronounce pharmaceutical (audio)
variants also pharmaceutic
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutically adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2 noun
variants also pharmaceutic
: a medicinal drug
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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