1
as in pharmacist
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
Relevance
2
as in pharmacy
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
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of apothecary
Invented at Sazerac House in the late 19th century, the Sazerac cocktail originally consisted of French brandy (specifically Cognac), Peychaud’s Bitters (created by a New Orleans apothecary in the 1830s), sugar, and absinthe.
—
Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
That means more adventures for Maomao, the servant turned apothecary swept up by political jockeying, feuding families, and, in the next season, a new mystery to solve.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Jan. 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
The bottles of bitters are sold at the apothecary, as well as online and in select stores, like Total Wine.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apothecary
Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
That means more adventures for Maomao, the servant turned apothecary swept up by political jockeying, feuding families, and, in the next season, a new mystery to solve.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Jan. 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
The bottles of bitters are sold at the apothecary, as well as online and in select stores, like Total Wine.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apothecary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apothecary
Noun
-
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a professional organization for pharmacists, includes 14 brands or dosages of estrogen patches in its most current list of drugs in shortage.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
By Ayesha Gulzar, PharmD Ayesha Gulzar is a clinical pharmacist interested in medical research, pharmacy practice, and medication therapy management.—
Oluseun Olufade,
Verywell Health,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Another issue, Nikpay said, is that some pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers charge healthcare providers large fees for this 340B work, which can reduce the provider’s savings on those drug prices.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic — as telemedicine expanded dramatically, FDA began to allow mifepristone to be dispensed at a local pharmacy or through the mail.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apothecary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothecary. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
