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

Meanwhile, China has emerged as a leader in biotech — the innovation engine of pharma. —Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026

Commentary and opinions This pharma company makes a miracle HIV drug, but is blocking access for millions of low-income people, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

Days later, the agency published letters alleging violations of federal pharma marketing rules by companies including Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Novartis. —Ed Silverman, STAT, 8 Apr. 2026

That still creates leverage over time, not by turning pharma into manufacturers, but by becoming deeply embedded in how modern drug discovery gets done. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 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