spherical

adjective

ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
Definition of sphericalnext
as in circular
having every part of the surface the same distance from the center the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spherical For example, Galileo observed that the moon was not perfectly spherical in 1610, allowing for a more precise prediction of where the natural satellite’s shadow will fall during an eclipse. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 That’s because Sprenger got to use very special equipment — the Todd-AO 65mm spherical lenses, which haven’t been used since productions like Oklahoma! — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 Eos, which dominated the 2010s with brightly colored spherical balms, entered the gloss-balm hybrid space last month with Dewy Lip Shine. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026 To understand why, picture atoms and molecules as spherical balls. — Robin MacAluso, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spherical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spherical
  1. circular
  2. cylindrical
  3. curved
  4. globular
  5. round
Adjective
  • The skylit living room provides ample wall space for hanging art and also features a circular bar with a row of stools.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Auriga effectively unrolled that circular motor, creating a linear system capable of accelerating an object along a track.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of circular
Adjective
  • China’s high-tech enterprise CBAK Energy Technology is scaling production of its large cylindrical lithium-ion batteries at its Nanjing Phase II facility, with plans to eventually raise annual capacity from 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 18 GWh.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In the double-height living room, a monumental polished-stone fireplace anchors the space, while a freestanding cylindrical wine display transforms bottle storage into a sculptural element in the dining area.
    — Mark David, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of cylindrical
Adjective
  • Around this time, Earth's curved inner shadow will appear to creep across the lunar surface while leaving a thin crescent exposed to direct sunlight at the point of maximum eclipse.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Nike Pegasus Plus 2 caters to speedy training with a sole unit featuring a curved Air Zoom and ZoomX foam.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of curved
Adjective
  • The Hubble Space Telescope captured this twinkling image of NGC 6723, or the Chandelier Cluster, a globular star cluster located 27,000 light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The pieces are abstract but appear to show featureless human figures sitting atop globular, cloud-like shapes that float in the air.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Definition of globular
Adjective
  • The asymmetry can help visually lengthen and balance a round face.
    — Laura Solla, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
  • There are many round, massive, geologically interesting objects in our solar system that, viewed in isolation, look and act somewhat like planets.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of round

Browse Nearby Words

spheres
spherical
sphering
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Cite this Entry

“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spherical. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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