spherical

adjective

spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
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
spherically adverb

Did you know?

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
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.
The 63 spherical villas resemble seashells, and those hovering over the water form a ring, a striking visual signature for the hotel. Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Button Bush The button bush features spherical flower heads abounding with tiny white blooms from June until September. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2025 Cylindrical keycaps will have a U-shaped indentation with peaks on either side and a dip in the center, while spherical keycaps are going to be more bowl-like, with peaks on all four corners and a divot in the center. Henri Robbins, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025 The Opportunity rover famously spotted a group of spherical formations in 2004. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spherical

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spherical was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Spherical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spherical. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

spherical

adjective
spher·​i·​cal ˈsfir-i-kəl How to pronounce spherical (audio)
ˈsfer-
: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere
spherically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on spherical

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!