pharmaceutical
Americanadjective
noun
-
pharmaceuticals
plural
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonpharmaceuticadjective
-
nonpharmaceuticaladjective
-
nonpharmaceuticallyadverb
-
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
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 12–November 18, 2022
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 11–May 17, 2025
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Pharmacy Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Shares of Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company by market value, rallied above their 50-day moving average to mark their best level since August.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Dublin, Ireland provider of products and services to hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers said it expects the deal to expand its portfolio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Outside the United States, access to the drug will be handled through a licensing agreement between Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Recordati, a major pharmaceutical company headquartered in Italy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
U.S. sales rose 9.1% in the third quarter, driving the majority of growth across J&J’s pharmaceutical and medical-device segments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 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
Both also play important roles in producing pharmaceuticals and other specialized chemicals.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Their discoveries have been decisive for chemists who design reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals," the jury said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
He said that the best areas of the market during such a drawdown will be traditional defensive plays like food producers and sellers, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
In 2025, electrical and electronic equipment alone accounted for about $25.8bn of Indian exports to America, pharmaceuticals about $9.7bn and machinery about $7.2bn.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Tony’s business interests are diverse: waste management, luxury auto exports, pharmaceuticals, etc.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
