spherical

adjective

Synonyms of sphericalnext
1
: having the form of a sphere or of one of its segments
2
: relating to or dealing with a sphere or its properties

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 spherical structure, featuring a monolithic gyroid design, was 3D printed from silicon carbide. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 First, a planet had to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, meaning that its gravity has pulled it into a spherical shape. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Beyond immersive spherical video, it’s engineered to function as a point-and-shoot camera for flat social clips, or a traditional single-lens action cam when instant sharing makes more sense. New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 The modern, airy design pairs a spherical top with a rectangular base. Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

spherical

adjective
: relating to or having the form of a sphere or part of a sphere
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