pharmaceutical
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonpharmaceuticadjective
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nonpharmaceuticaladjective
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nonpharmaceuticallyadverb
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pharmaceuticallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pharmaceutical
First recorded in 1640–50; pharmaceutic(s) + -al 1
Explanation
A pharmaceutical is any kind of drug used for medicinal purposes, like cough syrup or sleeping pills. You may have heard of a pharmacy, which is a place where you can buy medicinal drugs, or a pharmacist, which is a person who prepares those drugs. In general, a pharmaceutical is anything related to pharmacies or pharmacists, though it especially refers to the kinds of medicines that they sell. Pharmaceuticals are often contrasted with what are called recreational drugs, which are the illegal kind that are generally used for entertainment purposes rather than to help heal the body.
Vocabulary lists containing pharmaceutical
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Pharmacy Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The method could create new opportunities in chemistry, biology, and pharmaceutical science.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Sanofi SAN -0.62%decrease; red down pointing triangle said it decided against seeking regulatory approval for a new eczema drug as the French pharmaceutical company reviews its pipeline following the appointment of a new chief executive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Consumers will interpret reclassification as FDA approval,” Adriane Fugh-Berman, a critic of the drug industry and director of a watchdog organization that studies pharmaceutical marketing, said Thursday at the meeting.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Wadephul named "critical raw materials, renewable energy and the pharmaceutical industry" as areas for potential growth.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Olga probably got it from the pharmaceutical people who always visited her office.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Danish pharmaceuticals heavyweight Novo Nordisk said Tuesday it is suing its arch US rival, Eli Lilly, over "false and materially misleading" adverts for their competing weight-loss and anti-diabetes treatments.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Beyond obesity, they see opportunity for large-cap pharmaceuticals, which continue to generate resilient earnings growth even amid patent-expiry worries.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Healthcare spending, including on pharmaceuticals and hospitals, is still rising rapidly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
By comparison, many pharmaceuticals taken daily by tens of millions of Americans enter wastewater systems in far greater quantities.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Tony’s business interests are diverse: waste management, luxury auto exports, pharmaceuticals, etc.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
