spherical

adjective

spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
ˈsfer-
1
: having the form of a sphere or of one of its segments
2
: relating to or dealing with a sphere or its properties
spherically adverb

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Something spherical is like a sphere in being round, or more or less round, in three dimensions. Apples and oranges are both spherical, for example, even though they're never perfectly round. A spheroid has a roughly spherical shape; so an asteroid, for instance, is often spheroidal—fairly round, but lumpy.

Examples of spherical in a Sentence

the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical
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.
The painting of irises above the fireplace is by Reiss, and the hanging spherical light fixture is a Moooi knockoff. Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Nov. 2024 The spherical shell known as the Oort Cloud is, for all practical purposes, invisible. James Wray, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 Abu Dhabi is set to become the next location to showcase multimedia entertainment in the unique spherical structure, the Sphere Entertainment Co. and Abu Dhabi tourism officials announced on Tuesday. Marnie Hunter, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024 Today the square is dominated by futuristic, undulating domes — each with a spherical skylight for the museum’s subterranean galleries below — and a free temporary exhibition of giant, moss-green elfin figures by the Finnish sculptor Kim Simonsson (through Oct. 20). Ingrid K. Williams, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spherical 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spherical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near spherical

Cite this Entry

“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spherical. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spherical

adjective
spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
ˈsfer-
: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere
spherically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on spherical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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