1
as in pharmacists
a person who prepares drugs according to a doctor's prescription
in olden days the apothecary had few drugs that actually cured anything, most substances being little more than pain relievers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in pharmacies
a retail store where medicines and miscellaneous articles are sold
the historic village boasts an old-fashioned apothecary that's been there for almost a century and a half
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of apothecaries
Belif is predominantly a skin care brand, inspired by 19th-century apothecaries and their herbal medicines, mixed with modern scientific Korean beauty theory.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
In densely populated neighborhoods of flimsy wooden houses, charcoal braziers tumbled over, fuel tanks ruptured, combustible chemicals in apothecaries exploded, and high winds fanned the flames through alleys.
—Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
For decades after the nation’s founding, doctors had competition from homeopaths, herbalists, apothecaries, midwives, and religious healers—not to mention mothers.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Eventually, hard candies were made from the plant and carried in many apothecaries and general stores.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
In densely populated neighborhoods of flimsy wooden houses, charcoal braziers tumbled over, fuel tanks ruptured, combustible chemicals in apothecaries exploded, and high winds fanned the flames through alleys.
—Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
For decades after the nation’s founding, doctors had competition from homeopaths, herbalists, apothecaries, midwives, and religious healers—not to mention mothers.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Eventually, hard candies were made from the plant and carried in many apothecaries and general stores.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apothecaries
Noun
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Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer the contraceptive injection would help expand access to birth control across New York.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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Gillman noted that his school’s health science and academic programs are training nurses, pharmacists and public health officials, and that UCI is engaged in research that brings innovation and hundreds of millions of dollars into the region.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Gunmen burned 80 convenience stores and a host of pharmacies, flexing their power in the city.—
Steve Fisher,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
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According to various reports, potential future locations include former Rite Aid pharmacies in New York and California and a facility previously occupied by a Goodwill secondhand store in Virginia.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apothecaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothecaries. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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