pharmacology

American  

[fahr-muh-kol-uh-jee] / ˌfɑr məˈkɒl ə dʒi /

noun

• pharmacologies
  plural

1. the science dealing with the preparation, uses, and especially the effects of drugs.

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pharmacology British  

/ ˌfɑːməkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌfɑːməˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the science of drugs, including their characteristics and uses

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pharmacology Scientific  

/ fär′mə-kŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of drugs and their effects, especially in the treatment of disease.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pharmacologist
  noun
• pharmacologic
  adjective
• pharmacological
  adjective
• pharmacologically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pharmacologies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pharmacology

From the New Latin word pharmacologia, dating back to 1715–25; see pharmaco-, -logy

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pharmacology

“It’s hard to find things that are not made of plastic,” says Phoebe Stapleton, an associate professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Lilly “is making a disciplined move into next-generation sleep pharmacology that fills a clear portfolio gap and signals renewed confidence in CNS innovation,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Trung Huynh told investors.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

And for the guideline bodies: The precision-medicine framework applied to oncology and cardiology has not yet reached metabolic pharmacology.

From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2026

The company website shows Lilly is currently hiring for roles in its research division relating to in vivo pharmacology.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

Work in clinical chemistry, clinical pharmacology, and experimental physiology was essentially innovation.

From Medical Investigation in Seventeenth Century England Papers Read at a Clark Library Seminar, October 14, 1967 by Charles W. Bodemer