arterial

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce arterial (audio)
Synonyms of arterialnext
1
a
: of or relating to an artery
b
: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills
2
: of, relating to, or constituting through traffic
arterially
är-ˈtir-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce arterial (audio)
adverb

arterial

2 of 2

noun

: a through street or highway

Synonyms of arterial

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of arterial in a Sentence

Noun one of the main arterials connecting the airport with the city
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.
Adjective
The increasingly popular test, known as a CAC scan, checks for arterial plaque. — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026 Carried forward from previous generations, the Ultra 2 offers advanced glycation end products (AGEs) index tracking for a detailed picture of your metabolism, an antioxidant test for dietary health, and vascular load detection for arterial insights. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
David Daniel, 43, who lives in Silver Springs, was fishing off Boca Grande Key, about 14 miles west of Key West, when the shark bit him on the foot, causing a serious arterial bleed, his friend Robyn Corliss wrote in the GoFundMe post. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 In rare circumstances, salmonella can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses like arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arterial

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French and Medieval Latin; Middle French arterial, borrowed from Medieval Latin artēriālis, from Latin artēria — more at artery + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of arterial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

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

Phrases Containing arterial

Rhymes for arterial

See All Rhymes for arterial

Browse Nearby Words

arteri-
arterial
arterial bulb
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arterial. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

arterial

adjective
ar·​te·​ri·​al
är-ˈtir-ē-əl
1
a
: of or relating to an artery
b
: being the bright red oxygen-rich blood present in most arteries
2
: of, relating to, or being routes for through traffic
arterial highways
arterially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

arterial

adjective
ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce arterial (audio)
1
: of or relating to an artery
2
: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills compare venous sense 3
arterially
-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce arterial (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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