Big Pharma

American

[big fahr-muh] / ˈbɪg ˈfɑr mə /

Or big pharma

noun

pharmaceutical companies considered collectively, especially with reference to their political and commercial influence.

The article attributes rising medical costs to private healthcare, Big Pharma, and insurance.

Etymology

Origin of Big Pharma

First recorded in 1990–95

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:

Big Pharma

“It’s a genuine place to be. I worried about going into Big Pharma and feeling evil. Novo felt wonderful. It was so focused on patient care, on science.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

It’s early days, but Big Pharma has been racing to own the technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Big Pharma is on the prowl for biotech companies, but it’s acting stingy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Big Pharma feels more certainty on regulatory policy, and Lilly is going to generate a ridiculous amount of free cash flow in the next five to 10 years.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

There have been a flurry of acquisitions of biotech names by Big Pharma giants, an easing of worries around threatened drug price reform, and some good news from companies.

From Barron's ● Dec. 28, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023