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

Etymology

Origin of arterial

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arterial arterials

Other new product launches also contributed to the growth, including pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment Winrevair, which brought in $588 million in sales, up 75% from a year ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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 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

His cause of death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, in which plaque builds up in arterial walls and can lead to a heart attack.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Here the sidewalks were shot through with arterial cracks and studded with menacing weeds that had evolved to survive torrential rain and the lack of pollinators.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

“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

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

By holding speeds to 20 mph in school zones, and 25 mph on surrounding arterials, drivers can better avoid kids crossing the street, or even if students unexpectedly step into traffic lanes, she said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2023

Roads like these exist across the country, including 900 miles of state highways, from Port Angeles to Spokane Valley, that double as major arterials.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 30, 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