pharmaceutical
Americanadjective
noun
-
pharmaceuticals
plural
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonpharmaceuticadjective
-
nonpharmaceuticaladjective
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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
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 11–May 17, 2025
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Pharmacy Words
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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:
Mr. Davies offers valuable insights into the role played by biotech and pharmaceutical companies, such as Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Crispr Therapeutics, in opening doors to new treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Future studies will also need to evaluate effectiveness, safety, and how selectively pterostilbene acts on its intended biological targets before the findings can be developed into practical nutritional or pharmaceutical applications.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
If the boomer boom fizzles, you still own one of the world’s largest diversified pharmaceutical companies.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
For evidence for the appeal, MedicoCX’s Johnson said she may contact “medical science liaisons”— whose job is to convey scientific information—at pharmaceutical companies who can send articles or data supporting the doctor’s prescription.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Finally, pharmaceutical companies have sometimes had limited access to quality ingredients.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Beyond his exploits in Sao Paulo's financial hub Faria Lima, high-flying Vorcaro invested in real estate, pharmaceuticals, textiles and even soccer.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
And it carries industrial chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
"He had been tried on cocktails of anti-epileptic pharmaceuticals and they just weren't working" Charlotte said.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“I don’t think the race is finished,” said Stephen Farrelly, global lead for pharmaceuticals and healthcare at Dutch bank ING Group.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Tony’s business interests are diverse: waste management, luxury auto exports, pharmaceuticals, etc.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions 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.
