phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-kəl 
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
: a medicinal drug
Examples of pharmaceutical in a Sentence
Adjective
lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry
Noun
some pharmaceuticals can be quite risky unless taken correctly
Recent Examples on the Web
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Shkreli, for one, was reportedly running his pharmaceutical company from behind bars using a contraband smartphone, according to the Wall Street Journal.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Data shows that generally accepted livestock waste management practices do not adequately or effectively protect water resources from contamination with excessive nutrients, microbial pathogens and pharmaceuticals present in the waste, according to the National Library of Medicine.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
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Adjective
Then, Eddie lets Jackie know that the pharmaceutical company has video evidence of him selling samples to a pill mill.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Shkreli, for one, was reportedly running his pharmaceutical company from behind bars using a contraband smartphone, according to the Wall Street Journal.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
The logic is sound for a business that relies on the skill and ideas of its people to find and develop new drug candidates, which is vital for long-term growth in pharmaceuticals.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Data shows that generally accepted livestock waste management practices do not adequately or effectively protect water resources from contamination with excessive nutrients, microbial pathogens and pharmaceuticals present in the waste, according to the National Library of Medicine.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
Cite this Entry
“Pharmaceutical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmaceutical. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pharmaceutical
1 of 2 adjective
phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl
: of, relating to, or involved in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of medicinal drugs
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutical
2 of 2 noun
: a drug or preparation used in medicine
Medical Definition
pharmaceutical
1 of 2 adjective
phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl
variants
also pharmaceutic
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutical
2 of 2 noun
variants
also pharmaceutic
: a medicinal drug
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