pharmaceutical

1 of 2

adjective

phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-kəl 

: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals

a pharmaceutical company

pharmaceutically

ˌfär-mə-ˈsü-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2

noun

: a medicinal drug

Synonyms of pharmaceutical

Noun

• drug
• medication
• medicine
• remedy
• cure

Examples of pharmaceutical in a Sentence

Adjective

lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry

Noun

some pharmaceuticals can be quite risky unless taken correctly

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Sophie confessed to being a bit conflicted about tobacco, a plant that has killed untold humans, but is also showing promise in vaccine production and other pharmaceutical research. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Separately, OpenAI also announced a deal on Tuesday, acquiring biotech startup Orchestra Bio and its technology focused on building AI agents to help pharmaceutical firms manage drug development. — John Kell, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Noun

OpenAI wants to tackle some of the work behind that lengthy process, using AI agents to help pharmaceutical teams manage drug development programs. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Cognitive intelligence could allow Washington to unlock the frontiers of scientific discovery, from materials science to pharmaceuticals. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin pharmaceuticus, from Greek pharmakeutikos, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs — more at pharmacy

First Known Use

Adjective

1636, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pharmaceutical

• hermeneutical
• cuticle
• radiopharmaceutical

Kids Definition

pharmaceutical

1 of 2 adjective

phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl 

: of, relating to, or involved in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of medicinal drugs

a pharmaceutical company

pharmaceutically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2 noun

: a drug or preparation used in medicine

Medical Definition

pharmaceutical

1 of 2 adjective

phar·​ma·​ceu·​ti·​cal ˌfär-mə-ˈsüt-i-kəl 

variants also pharmaceutic

-ˈsüt-ik 

: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals

a pharmaceutical company

pharmaceutically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pharmaceutical

2 of 2 noun

variants also pharmaceutic

: a medicinal drug