arterial

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl 

1

a

: of or relating to an artery

b

: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills

2

: of, relating to, or constituting through traffic

arterially

är-ˈtir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

arterial

2 of 2

noun

: a through street or highway

Synonyms

Noun

• highway
• road
• thoroughfare
• street
• artery
• freeway
• route
• expressway
• carriageway [British]
• roadway
• boulevard
• turnpike

Examples of arterial in a Sentence

Noun

one of the main arterials connecting the airport with the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Drinking Too Much Alcohol Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure by increasing blood volume, heart rate, and plasma renin activity (PRA), which narrows blood vessels and elevates arterial blood.18 Avoid alcohol or limit intake whenever possible. —Laura Schober, Health, 30 June 2025

Plowing multi-lane arterial streets with multiple trucks to ensure the street is fully cleared on the first pass. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 18 Feb. 2025

Noun

Original concepts showed the construction of a dedicated bike lane and sidewalk on each side of an arterial, and behind both curbs with a grass buffer. —Mason Rouser, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Supervised exercise, often prescribed to patients at risk for peripheral arterial disease, requires a $10 to $20 co-pay each for a dozen visits to a rehabilitation center that might be an hour's drive away. —Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French and Medieval Latin; Middle French arterial, borrowed from Medieval Latin artēriālis, from Latin artēria — more at artery + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of arterial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing arterial

• intra-arterial

Rhymes for arterial

• bacterial
• ethereal
• funereal
• imperial
• material
• sidereal
• venereal
• antibacterial
• biomaterial
• mycobacterial
• cereal
• virial

Kids Definition

arterial

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al

är-ˈtir-ē-əl

1

a

: of or relating to an artery

b

: being the bright red oxygen-rich blood present in most arteries

2

: of, relating to, or being routes for through traffic

arterial highways

arterially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

arterial

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl 

1

: of or relating to an artery

2

: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills compare venous sense 3

arterially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb