pharmaceutical

[ fahr-muh-soo-ti-kuhl ]

adjective

1. pertaining to pharmacy or pharmacists.

noun

1. a pharmaceutical preparation or product.

pharmaceutical

/ ˌfɑːməˈsjuːtɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to drugs or pharmacy

Derived Forms

• ˌpharmaˈceutically, adverb

Other Words From

• pharma·ceuti·cal·ly adverb
• nonphar·ma·ceutic adjective
• nonphar·ma·ceuti·cal adjective
• nonphar·ma·ceuti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pharmaceutical¹

First recorded in 1640–50; pharmaceutic(s) + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of pharmaceutical¹

C17: from Late Latin pharmaceuticus, from Greek pharmakeus purveyor of drugs; see pharmacy

Example Sentences

Originally developed by the pharmaceutical industry in the 1950s as a painkiller, clinical trials were abandoned amid concerns about their harmful effects.

From BBC

Methanol, an alcohol that can be made from syngas, is a source of ingredients for producing plastics, synthetic fabrics and pharmaceuticals.

From Science Daily

The pharmaceutical manufacturer Amgen announced on Tuesday that an experimental obesity drug helped patients lose an average of up to 20 percent of their weight in a year.

From New York Times

With the hub's help, one of the teenagers has received mentoring from two large pharmaceutical companies and returned to university on a different course.

From BBC

Oz was also directly invested in several large pharmaceutical companies and, through investments in venture capital funds, indirectly invested in other biotech and vaccine firms.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• medicine