pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

2

a

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

b

: drugstore

3

: pharmacopoeia sense 2

Synonyms of pharmacy

• drugstore

Examples of pharmacy in a Sentence

There's a pharmacy in our grocery store now.

She's studying pharmacy at the university.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some professors in pharmacy, engineering and education schools also publicly opposed unionizing. —Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Modern pharmacies depend on interoperable data exchange standards such as FHIR APIs and HL7 messaging. —Ethan Stone june 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026

Once enrolled, medications are shipped directly to your door or sent to a pharmacy near you. —Jay Sparks, USA Today, 2 June 2026

These days, his most visible venture is Cost Plus Drugs, the generic-pharmacy company he co-founded in 2022 to undercut traditional drug prices. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin pharmacia administration of drugs, from Greek pharmakeia, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs, from pharmakon magic charm, poison, drug

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing drugs according to a doctor's prescription

2

a

: a place where medicines are made or distributed

b

: drugstore

Medical Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

2

a

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

a hospital pharmacy

b

: drugstore

3

: pharmacopoeia sense 2