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

In July, the multihyphenate — who launched her hair care line, Grow-Good Beauty, in March — took her hair to new heights, crafting a spherical updo, courtesy of Stylez, at the Robert Wun fall 2027 couture show in Paris. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Another quirk of the process is that because neither Earth nor any other solar system object is perfectly spherical, projection systems can't seamlessly translate between worlds. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Instead of a conventional round watch scaled down for a smaller wrist, the new timepiece presents a polished, spherical case that’s engineered around a hefty mechanical movement, with a double-tour leather strap that can thread directly through. — Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2026

The resolution also encourages teaching about the trade-offs that arise from depicting a spherical planet on a flat map. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 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