spherical

adjective

spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl 

ˈsfer-

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

ˈsfir-i-k(ə-)lē 

ˈsfer-

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.

Synonyms of spherical

• circular
• cylindrical
• curved
• globular
• round

Examples of spherical in a Sentence

the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical

Recent Examples on the Web

Benjamin began the bee Tuesday by correctly spelling micellar, an adjective that describes anything relating to or composed of micelles, which are tiny, self-assembling, spherical clusters of molecules. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026

Images showed the spherical tank was partially collapsed and bowed to the side with a large side ripped open. —David Douglas, NBC news, 27 May 2026

While healthy corneas have a more spherical shape, those with keratoconus become steeper and cone-shaped. —Neelam Patadia, The Conversation, 27 May 2026

On spherical surfaces, such as that of Earth, an equilateral triangle can consist of three right angles, for instance. —Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spherical

• spherical aberration
• spherical angle
• spherical coordinate
• spherical geometry
• spherical polygon
• spherical triangle
• spherical trigonometry

Rhymes for spherical

• clerical
• anticlerical
• hemispherical
• chimerical
• hysterical
• numerical

Kids Definition

spherical

adjective

spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl 

ˈsfer-

: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere

spherically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb