pharmaceutical
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.a medicine or drug produced by a company.
n.a medicinal drug or compound produced for therapeutic use.
Simple“The doctor explained that this new pharmaceutical would help lower his blood pressure.”
In context“The hospital pharmacy stocks a wide range of pharmaceuticals, from common antibiotics to specialized treatments for rare genetic conditions.”
UsageOften used in the plural when referring to the products of the industry.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the making and selling of medicines.
adj.pertaining to the discovery, development, and manufacture of drugs.
Simple“She works for a large pharmaceutical company in the city center.”
In context“Recent pharmaceutical breakthroughs have significantly improved the survival rates for patients with previously untreatable viral infections.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun.
Synonyms
“A source told the Reuters news agency that further measures could go beyond tariffs, for example by suspending pharmaceutical and agricultural patents.”
“Between April and June, sectors including computer programming, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry lifted growth.”
From Latin pharmaceuticus (“of drugs”) + -al, from Ancient Greek φαρμακευτικός (pharmakeutikós, “of or by means of drugs or pharmacy”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.