pharmaceutical

noun

Definition of pharmaceuticalnext
as in drug
a substance or preparation used to treat disease some pharmaceuticals can be quite risky unless taken correctly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 pharmaceutical The German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company isn’t supplying them aspirin—they’re a lead company that develops agricultural technology that farmers rely on. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 9 July 2026 As antidepressants became central to psychiatric practice, depression was progressively reframed — in clinical guidelines, pharmaceutical advertising, and popular culture — as a disorder of neurochemistry best addressed through medication. — Max Moser, STAT, 9 July 2026 In pharmaceutical, food processing, and chemical manufacturing, real-time in-process monitoring has been standard practice for decades. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Even drinking water, which is carefully treated and monitored, can contain trace amounts of contaminants from multiple sources, including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and compounds formed during water treatment. — Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pharmaceutical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pharmaceutical
  1. drug
  2. medication
  3. medicine
  4. remedy
  5. cure
Noun
  • An investigation by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners found that while the three medications were administered in non-fatal doses, Hemphill failed to acknowledge the way the drugs would act when combined, according to the warrant.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • The twist is that she’s already attached to Reynolds (Ben Foster), who looks like a dweeb — but is, in fact, an extremely wealthy and powerful drug kingpin.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 July 2026
Definition of drug
Noun
  • Maintenance inhalers are either long-acting airway dilators or anti-inflammatory medications like steroids that patients should take daily.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Though effective medication exists, the issue is persistent in areas with a lack of easy access to testing, treatment and clean water so people don't rely on local bodies of water for drinking and bathing.
    — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of medication
Noun
  • Afghanistan's health system is under severe strain, with many hospitals and clinics facing shortages of staff, medicine and funding.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026
  • However, iPS cells raise other questions in reproductive medicine.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Definition of medicine
Noun
  • The crafty 10th-seeded Czech, whose slices and volleys are perfectly suited to Wimbledon’s low-bouncing surface, carries a medicine cabinet’s worth of remedies to prove that the All England Club’s famous lawns can be a real irritant.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • These are discrete allegations of lawbreaking, and any remedy must match their magnitude.
    — David B Mcgarry, Oc Register, 8 July 2026
Definition of remedy
Noun
  • There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but various treatment options, such as prescription medications, may be available to patients to maintain brain health, delay symptom onset or manage symptoms, the agency says.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Sure, if the cure to a terrible disease exists only in a private letter from one scientist to another, publishing that letter is imperative.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of cure

Browse Nearby Words

pharisaical
pharmaceutical
pharmaceuticals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pharmaceutical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pharmaceutical. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pharmaceutical

Nglish: Translation of pharmaceutical for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pharmaceutical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All