spherical

adjective

spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
ˈsfer-
Synonyms of sphericalnext
1
: having the form of a sphere or of one of its segments
2
: relating to or dealing with a sphere or its properties
spherically adverb

Did you know?

Something spherical is like a sphere in being round, or more or less round, in three dimensions. Apples and oranges are both spherical, for example, even though they're never perfectly round. A spheroid has a roughly spherical shape; so an asteroid, for instance, is often spheroidal—fairly round, but lumpy.

Examples of spherical in a Sentence

the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mostly spherical design also resembles its main rival, the Echo Dot Max, but while Amazon's speaker offers touch controls on a small concave plastic panel on the front, the Google Home Speaker hides them under a colorful, mesh surface to maintain a uniform look on the upper part of the device. Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026 Known as the Galactic Center Excess, a spherical gamma-ray glow extending out for thousands of light-years from the core of our galaxy, this high-energy light has baffled researchers for over a decade. Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 June 2026 The oil-free cream formula is anchored by spherical particles that absorb and refract light to blur dark spots, redness, and uneven texture without emphasizing the lines and pores that heavier concealers tend to magnify. Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 13 June 2026 Peppercorns are the small, spherical fruits that grow in bunches on a climbing vine of these plants, similar to how grapes come to life. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spherical

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spherical was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spherical. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

spherical

adjective
spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
ˈsfer-
: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere
spherically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on spherical

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster