pharmacy

noun

phar·ma·cy ˈfär-mə-sē

plural pharmacies

Synonyms of pharmacy

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

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

: drugstore

: pharmacopoeia sense 2

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

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.

In recent months, estrogen products like transdermal patches have been hard for pharmacies to keep in stock. — Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026 The discussion on new guidelines, expected to be published around March next year, follows June’s court victory for Novo Nordisk against local compounding pharmacies making unauthorized copies. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The humidity-resistant, child-resistant container can be composted or recycled, reducing plastic use by up to 71%; pharmacies can also brand the tube or print adherence instructions directly on it. — Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 The prescriptions were then taken to Striderite Pharmacy, where Yusuf and other pharmacy employees dispensed the medication to Llerena. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pharmacy

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of pharmacy was in 1651

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pharmacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmacy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·ma·cy ˈfär-mə-sē

plural pharmacies

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

: a place where medicines are made or distributed

: drugstore

Medical Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·ma·cy ˈfär-mə-sē

plural pharmacies

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

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

a hospital pharmacy

: drugstore

: pharmacopoeia sense 2

pharmacy

noun

Synonyms of pharmacy

Examples of pharmacy in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on pharmacy

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes