pharmacology

noun

phar·​ma·​col·​o·​gy ˌfär-mə-ˈkä-lə-jē How to pronounce pharmacology (audio)
1
: the science of drugs including their origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use, and toxicology
2
: the properties and reactions of drugs especially with relation to their therapeutic value
pharmacological adjective
or less commonly pharmacologic
pharmacologically adverb
pharmacologist noun

Example Sentences

We don't have a complete understanding of the new drug's pharmacology yet.
Recent Examples on the Web With advances in pharmacology, the time had come for an agency to inform the public about the differences between medicine and snake oil. Thomas R. Insel, STAT, 12 Apr. 2023 Phoebe Stapleton, an assistant professor in the department of toxicology and pharmacology at Rutgers University, led a team that placed extremely small nanoplastics in the lungs of rats and found that the particles migrated to the heart, placenta and fetal tissue. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 7 Aug. 2022 Her interest was in the sciences — first biology, then biochemistry and finally pharmacology, the study of how chemicals act on the human body. Nancy Kriplen, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2017 His research focuses on pharmacology and toxicology. Brad Reisfeld, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023 But few realized how relevant until 2014, when a professor of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania named John Hogenesch published a paper with his colleagues showing that almost half of the genes in mice produce proteins on a 24-hour schedule. New York Times, 6 July 2022 Brain-dead patients have served as research subjects for decades – mainly for studies on toxicology, organ transplants, and pharmacology. Ben Thomas, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2016 Ibogaine's mysterious therapeutic qualities stem from the drug's complex pharmacology. Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2021 Certified dispensers must have a minimum two years of education or experience in biology, chemistry, pharmacology, medical cannabis, or a similar field. Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 23 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pharmacology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharmacology was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near pharmacology

Cite this Entry

“Pharmacology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmacology. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

pharmacology

noun
phar·​ma·​col·​o·​gy ˌfär-mə-ˈkäl-ə-jē How to pronounce pharmacology (audio)
1
: the study of drugs, their composition, effects, and use in medicine
2
: the properties and reactions of drugs especially with relation to their medical value
pharmacological adjective
also pharmacologic
pharmacologically adverb

Medical Definition

pharmacology

noun
phar·​ma·​col·​o·​gy ˌfär-mə-ˈkäl-ə-jē How to pronounce pharmacology (audio)
plural pharmacologies
1
: the science of drugs including their origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use, and toxicology
2
: the properties and reactions of drugs especially with relation to their therapeutic value
pharmacological adjective
also pharmacologic
pharmacologically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pharmacology

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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