arterial

American  

[ahr-teer-ee-uhl] / ɑrˈtɪər i əl /

adjective

1. Physiology. pertaining to the blood in the pulmonary vein, in the left side of the heart, and in most arteries, having been oxygenated during its passage through the lungs and being normally bright red.

2. Anatomy. of, relating to, or resembling the arteries.

3. being or constituting a main route, channel, or other course of flow or access, often with many branches.

   an arterial highway; an arterial drainage system.

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noun

• arterials
  plural

1. a main route, channel, or other course of flow or access.

   funds to resurface the main arterials of the city.

arterial British  

/ ɑːˈtɪərɪəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or affecting an artery or arteries

   arterial disease

2. denoting or relating to the usually bright red reoxygenated blood returning from the lungs or gills that circulates in the arteries

3. being a major route, esp one with many minor branches

   an arterial road

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonarterial
  adjective
• postarterial
  adjective
• arterially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arterials
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of arterial

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin artēriālis. See artery, -al ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arterial arterials

Winrevair, a pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, also contributed to Merck’s overall topline growth, with sales up 93% year over year to $694 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Emergency alerts were sent by telephone to residents of the districts because of the fire and several arterial roads were cut off, the Civil Guard said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The other is evaluating a temporary arterial treatment device called Nexsphere-F, which blocks small blood vessels in the knee that may contribute to inflammation and pain.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

The chosen location was not a stadium, but an urban setting ideal for spreading a visible, continuous wave: the emblematic Paseo de la Reforma, an iconic arterial road inspired by European boulevards.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

The clouds parted, and the lightning’s true source revealed itself—not lightning at all, no, but fireworks bursting in arterial gushes of blue and crimson.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

“Which offered more land for parking, easier loading and unloading by trucks, convenient access to highways and arterials, and a development context for much larger stores.”

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2024

Seattle has made strides in bolstering walkability, but there’s more to do, especially along arterials, in an age of speeding and distracted driving.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2023

On major paving projects of more than $1 million, usually on city arterials, crews must build a sidewalk on at least one side of the road if there is none already.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023

Interstate highways and wide arterials are now a defining feature of most metropolitan areas, their constant flow of cars spewing pollution into nearby neighborhoods.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023

The urban forester’s desire for bigger canopies and the street designer’s plan for a real bus shelter cannot be overruled by the transportation department’s desire to keep traffic moving smoothly on urban arterials.

From Slate ● May 22, 2023

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