pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Examples of pharma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The second area where Perceptic is focusing is helping pharma companies choose which indications to pursue in clinical trials, a decision that Flock said can swing the fate of investments worth millions of dollars. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 26 May 2026

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Moderna stocks year-to-date compared to several other pharma stocks. —Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 11 May 2026

And how does a nonprofit pharma company compete in the M&A arena? —Allison Deangelis, STAT, 30 Apr. 2026

New antibiotics would need to be reserved to prevent resistance, but pharma companies profit based on high-volume sales. —Emily Mullin, Wired News, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for pharmaceutical

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pharma

• dharma
• karma

Medical Definition

pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

But the rate at which pharmas have grown in size pales beside the acceleration of relevant scientific knowledge during the same period.

—Science

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Another issue pharma will face is an even more cost-conscious consumer as a result of insurers continuing to pass on additional costs to their members.

—Shaun Urban, Medical Marketing and Media

The Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in 2003, and scheduled to go into effect in 2006, promises a windfall for big pharma since it forbids the government from negotiating prices.

—Marcia Angell, The New York Review of Books