spherical
adjective
spher·i·cal
ˈsfir-i-kəl 
ˈsfer-
1
: having the form of a sphere or of one of its segments
2
: relating to or dealing with a sphere or its properties
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Something spherical is like a sphere in being round, or more or less round, in three dimensions. Apples and oranges are both spherical, for example, even though they're never perfectly round. A spheroid has a roughly spherical shape; so an asteroid, for instance, is often spheroidal—fairly round, but lumpy.
Examples of spherical in a Sentence
the planet Earth is not, in fact, perfectly spherical
Recent Examples on the Web
There, eggs develop into a spherical embryo with six hooks that pierce through the intestinal wall to migrate to the animal's organs, primarily the liver.
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ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
Using a biofilm of Vibrio cholerae bacteria, Yunker’s team described the shape of the emerging biofilm as a spherical cap that resembles a contact lens.
—Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Such a catastrophic event can dump a lot of energy into the gas around the galaxies, again creating an expanding wind that can take on a roughly spherical shape.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
The movie will have its spherical premiere on Aug. 28.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
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ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
Using a biofilm of Vibrio cholerae bacteria, Yunker’s team described the shape of the emerging biofilm as a spherical cap that resembles a contact lens.
—Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Such a catastrophic event can dump a lot of energy into the gas around the galaxies, again creating an expanding wind that can take on a roughly spherical shape.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
The movie will have its spherical premiere on Aug. 28.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spherical
Cite this Entry
“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spherical. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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spherical
adjective
spher·i·cal
ˈsfir-i-kəl
ˈsfer-
: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere
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