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
: a medicinal drug
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
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
The pharmaceutical giant in late October reported third-quarter earnings and revenue that beat consensus estimates, partly given strong demand for its cancer immunotherapy Keytruda.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2025
Dylan Butts, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Wednesday focused chiefly on the apparel and textile sectors, along with pharmaceuticals and agricultural products.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
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Adjective
Every pill in a bottle of pills that is prescribed by a physician, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company and distributed by a licensed pharmacy should have essentially the exact same dose.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
The pharmaceutical giant in late October reported third-quarter earnings and revenue that beat consensus estimates, partly given strong demand for its cancer immunotherapy Keytruda.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2025
Noun
Quantum race Horizon Quantum hopes to use its new hardware to accelerate the development of real-world quantum applications across industries, from pharmaceuticals to finance.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Wednesday focused chiefly on the apparel and textile sectors, along with pharmaceuticals and agricultural products.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
Cite this Entry
“Pharmaceutical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmaceutical. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
: of, relating to, or engaged in pharmacy or the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals
a pharmaceutical company
pharmaceutical
2 of 2 noun
variants
also pharmaceutic
: a medicinal drug
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