phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-kəl 
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
: 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
Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most business‑critical element is the introduction of EU pharmaceutical regulatory sandboxes, which will allow developers to test disruptive products not currently covered by existing regulation.
—Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Plants are also a primary source of consumer goods, such as building materials, textile fibers, and pharmaceuticals.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
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Adjective
The first Lyme disease vaccine Lyme’s toll was bad enough several decades ago that multiple pharmaceutical companies spent years and untold sums of money developing vaccines to try to prevent it.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most business‑critical element is the introduction of EU pharmaceutical regulatory sandboxes, which will allow developers to test disruptive products not currently covered by existing regulation.
—Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
Chanse Jones, a spokesperson for the leading trade association for pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA, said pharmacy benefit managers and insurers are creating access and affordability barriers for patients even as manufacturers try to expand access.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Plants are also a primary source of consumer goods, such as building materials, textile fibers, and pharmaceuticals.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
Cite this Entry
“Pharmaceutical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmaceutical. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pharmaceutical
1 of 2 adjective
phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl
: of, relating to, or involved in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of medicinal drugs
a pharmaceutical company
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
variants
also pharmaceutic
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutical
2 of 2 noun
variants
also pharmaceutic
: a medicinal drug
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