arterial

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce arterial (audio)
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 adverb

arterial

2 of 2

noun

: a through street or highway

Examples of arterial in a Sentence

Noun one of the main arterials connecting the airport with the city
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Diastolic blood pressure: a measure of arterial pressure as your heart rests between beats. Laura Schober, Health, 26 June 2025 While virtual MVPDs such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live and Fubo have helped stanch at least some of the arterial spray—these alternative packages now boast some 19.7 million stateside subs—total penetration remains a shadow of its former self at 52%. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
Noun
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 For example, Camp Pendleton is close to the ocean, surrounded by many local communities with large populations, and has major arterials surrounding it. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for arterial

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of arterial was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arterial. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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 How to pronounce arterial (audio)
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 adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on arterial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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