pharmaceutical

1 of 2

adjective

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

pharmaceutically

ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2

noun

: a medicinal drug

Synonyms

Noun

• cure
• drug
• medicament
• medication
• medicinal
• medicine
• physic
• remedy
• specific

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

Adjective

For instance, one pharmaceutical company launched a diabetes awareness campaign in India that used digital storytelling to share the experiences of real patients, combining local languages and culturally relevant visuals to foster trust and drive engagement. —Aman Gupta, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

For example, in 2023 the U.K. government signed a contract with a German biotechnology company to develop personalized cancer treatments, and pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck & Co are currently working on a skin cancer vaccine. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Noun

Some of those policy proposals take direct aim at the pharmaceutical industry, including reforming the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, and reviewing direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ad guidelines. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024

Sicko examines the American health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

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

Kids 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

pharmaceutically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

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 

variants also pharmaceutic

-ˈsüt-ik 

: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals

a pharmaceutical company

pharmaceutically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2 noun

variants also pharmaceutic

: a medicinal drug