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

Distances could run as little as 300 feet if an arterial street sits in between the facilities. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025

Diagnostic confusion To make things even harder, disease signs caused by other worms, like the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri, look similar to brain worm and can affect Minnesota moose. —Jessie Richards, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025

Noun

Indeed, the fee is supposed to go towards such things as helping build a new interchange on Highway 50, a major arterial four miles away by the nearest road. —James Burling, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025

Instead, along the way, the load may be highjacked and end up in the arterial wall. —Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2025

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