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

• circular
• cylindrical
• curved
• globular
• cylindric
• round
• global

Examples of spherical in a Sentence

the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical

Recent Examples on the Web

The spherical heel is carved from lightweight cork, which appears in multiple guises in the season’s collection. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 10 July 2025

The prey burst, turning spherical and leaking nutrients, which the killers then use to survive and grow. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2025

The blade has a rectangular tip, and the handle ends in a spherical bulb. —Aspen Pflughoeft july 4, Miami Herald, 4 July 2025

In the case of sea silk, the structural coloration come from the layering of a spherical protein called photonin—one that becomes more vivid the more orderly the protein arrangement. —Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

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