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Synonyms

spherical

American  
[sfer-i-kuhl, sfeer-] / ˈsfɛr ɪ kəl, ˈsfɪər- /
Often spheric

adjective

  1. having the form of a sphere; globular.

    Synonyms:
    rounded

  2. formed in or on a sphere, as a figure.

  3. of or relating to a sphere or spheres.

  4. pertaining to the heavenly bodies, or to their supposed revolving spheres or shells.

  5. pertaining to the heavenly bodies regarded astrologically as exerting influence on humankind and events.

spherical British  
/ ˈsfɛrɪkəl /

adjective

  1. shaped like a sphere

  2. of or relating to a sphere

    spherical geometry

  3. geometry formed on the surface of or inside a sphere

    a spherical triangle

    1. of or relating to heavenly bodies

    2. of or relating to the spheres of the Ptolemaic or the Copernican system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonspheric adjective
  • nonspherical adjective
  • nonsphericality noun
  • nonspherically adverb
  • quasi-spherical adjective
  • quasi-spherically adverb
  • sphericality noun
  • spherically adverb
  • sphericalness noun
  • subspheric adjective
  • subspherical adjective
  • unspherical adjective

Etymology

Origin of spherical

1515–25; < Late Latin sphēric ( us ) ( spherics 1 ) + -al 1

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.

Other noteworthy pieces included dresses with spherical birdcage-inspired silhouettes, while other models wore transparent vest tops with their dresses gathered around their waists.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

It is impossible to draw a flat, rectangular map of the spherical Earth without distortions.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026

That is partly the result of viewing the spherical Earth on a flat map…

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

In Belgian "Singel" beers, these shells behave as though many small, spherical particles are tightly packed across the bubble surface.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

And I like imagining that I am there sometimes, in a spherical metal submersible with windows that are 30 cm thick to stop them from imploding under the pressure.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

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.