Meanings
nounpharmacy (countable and uncountable, plural pharmacies)
plural pharmacies
- uncountableThe science of medicinal substances, inclusive of pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, phytochemistry, and forensics.
- uncountableThe role or occupation of a pharmacist.
- collectivecountableuncountableA collection, group or set of drugs or similar products; a set of drugs taken.
Her garden was a pharmacy of herbs.
2 more examples
In that neighborhood, you could find a dealer for any drug, a whole pharmacy of chemical distractions.
He hoped to get off the pharmacy of medications that quack put him on.
Synonyms & antonyms
drugstore
nounthe art and science of preparing and dispensing drugs and medicines
Similar
Broader
medicinemedical specialty
nouna retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφαρμακεία“the use of drugs”
- Medieval Latinpharmacia
- Old Frenchfarmacie
- Middle Frenchpharmacie“the art of creating drugs; a drug, especially a laxative”
- Middle Englishpharmacy
- Englishpharmacy
From Middle English pharmacy, borrowed from Middle French pharmacie (“the art of creating drugs; a drug, especially a laxative”), from Old French farmacie, from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Ancient Greek φαρμακεία (pharmakeía, “the use of drugs”), from φάρμακον (phármakon, “a drug, charm, enchantment”), of uncertain but likely Pre-Greek origin. Attested since late 14th century.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans apteek, farmasie
- apteeka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmasiescience of medicinal substances
- aptekerswesescience of medicinal substances
- aptekeroccupation of a pharmacist
Arabic صَيْدَلِيَّة, صَيْدَلَة
- صَيْدَلِيَّة (ṣaydaliyya)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- صَيْدَلَة (ṣaydala)science of medicinal substances
- صَيْدَلَة (ṣaydala)occupation of a pharmacist
Basque farmazia, botika
- farmaziaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- botikaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Bengali ফার্মেসি
- ফার্মেসি (pharmeśi)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Bulgarian апте́ка, дроге́рия
- апте́ка (aptéka)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- дроге́рия (drogérija)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- фарма́ция (farmácija)science of medicinal substances
Catalan farmàcia, farmàcia
- farmàciaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmàciascience of medicinal substances
- farmàciaoccupation of a pharmacist
Chinese Cantonese 藥店 /药店, 藥房 /药房
- 藥店 /药店 (joek⁶ dim³)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥房 /药房 (joek⁶ fong⁴)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥局 /药局a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥鋪 /药铺 (joek⁶ pou³)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Chinese Mandarin 藥店 /药店, 藥房 /药房
- 藥店 /药店 (yàodiàn)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥房 /药房 (yàofáng)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥局 /药局 (yàojú)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥鋪 /药铺 (yàopù)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 藥劑學 /药剂学 (yàojìxué)science of medicinal substances
Czech lékárna, farmacie
- lékárnaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciescience of medicinal substances
- lékárnictvíscience of medicinal substances
Danish apotek, farmaci
- apoteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciscience of medicinal substances
Dutch apotheek, farmacie
- apotheeka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciescience of medicinal substances
Esperanto apoteko
- apotekoa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Estonian apteek, rohupood
- apteeka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- rohupooda place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaatsiascience of medicinal substances
- farmatseutoccupation of a pharmacist
- proviisoroccupation of a pharmacist
- apteekeroccupation of a pharmacist
Finnish apteekki, farmasia
- apteekkia place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmasiascience of medicinal substances
- farmasiaoccupation of a pharmacist
French pharmacie, officine
- pharmaciea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- officinea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- pharmaciescience of medicinal substances
German Apotheke, Drogerie
- Apothekea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- Drogeriea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- Pharmaziescience of medicinal substances
Greek φαρμακείο, φαρμακευτική
- φαρμακείο (farmakeío)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- φαρμακευτική (farmakeftikí)science of medicinal substances
- φαρμακοποιία (farmakopoiía)occupation of a pharmacist
- φαρμακευτική (farmakeftikí)occupation of a pharmacist
Hebrew בֵּית מִרְקַחַת, רוֹקְחוּת
- בֵּית מִרְקַחַת (beyt mirkakhat)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- רוֹקְחוּת (rokkhút)science of medicinal substances
- רוֹקֵחַ (rokéakh)occupation of a pharmacist
Hindi दवाख़ाना, फ़ार्मेसी
- दवाख़ाना (davāxānā)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- फ़ार्मेसी (fārmesī)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- औषधालय (auṣdhālay)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- सैदलिय्या (saidliyyā)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Hungarian gyógyszertár, patika
- gyógyszertára place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- patikaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- gyógyszerészetscience of medicinal substances
- farmakológiascience of medicinal substances
Icelandic apótek, lyfjabúð
- apóteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- lyfjabúða place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- lyfjafræðiscience of medicinal substances
Indonesian apotek, farmasi
- apoteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmasiscience of medicinal substances
- apotekeroccupation of a pharmacist
- farmasisoccupation of a pharmacist
Irish cógaslann, siopa poitigéara
- cógaslanna place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- siopa poitigéaraa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- cógaisíochtscience of medicinal substances
- poitigéireachtoccupation of a pharmacist
Italian farmacia, farmacia
- farmaciaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciascience of medicinal substances
- farmaciaoccupation of a pharmacist
Japanese 薬局, 薬屋
- 薬局 (yakkyoku)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 薬屋 (kusuriya)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 薬学 (yakugaku)science of medicinal substances
- 薬理学 (yakurigaku)science of medicinal substances
- 薬剤学 (yakuzaigaku)science of medicinal substances
- 薬剤師 (yakuzaishi)occupation of a pharmacist
Korean 약국, 약방
- 약국 (yakguk)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 약방 (yakbang)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- 약학 (yakhak)science of medicinal substances
- 약리학 (yangnihak)science of medicinal substances
- 조제학 (jojehak)science of medicinal substances
- 약제학 (yakjehak)science of medicinal substances
- 약제사 (yakjesa)occupation of a pharmacist
Latin medicīna
- medicīnaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Latvian aptieka, farmācija
- aptiekaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmācijascience of medicinal substances
Lithuanian vaistinė, farmacija
- vaistinėa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmacijascience of medicinal substances
Malay farmasi, kedai ubat
- farmasia place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- kedai ubata place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- rumah ubata place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- apoteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaseutikscience of medicinal substances
Māori whare rongoā
- whare rongoāa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Norwegian Bokmål apotek, farmasi
- apoteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmasiscience of medicinal substances
Polish apteka, farmacja
- aptekaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmacjascience of medicinal substances
- farmaceutykascience of medicinal substances
- aptekarstwooccupation of a pharmacist
Portuguese farmácia, drogaria
- farmáciaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- drogariaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmáciascience of medicinal substances
Punjabi ਫਾਰਮੇਸੀ
- ਫਾਰਮੇਸੀ (phārmesī)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Romanian farmacie, apotecă
- farmaciea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- apotecăa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaceuticăscience of medicinal substances
Russian апте́ка, фармаци́я
- апте́ка (aptéka)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- фармаци́я (farmacíja)science of medicinal substances
- фармаце́втика (farmacévtika)science of medicinal substances
- фармаце́втика (farmacévtika)occupation of a pharmacist
- фармаци́я (farmacíja)occupation of a pharmacist
Scottish Gaelic bùth-cungaidheir, bùth-chungaidhean
- bùth-cungaidheira place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- bùth-chungaidheana place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- bùth-cheimigeira place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- lèigheadaireachdscience of medicinal substances
Slovak lekáreň, farmácia
- lekáreňa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmáciascience of medicinal substances
- lekárnictvoscience of medicinal substances
Spanish farmacia, botica
- farmaciaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- boticaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciascience of medicinal substances
Swahili famasia, duka la dawa
- famasiaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- duka la dawaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- famasiascience of medicinal substances
Swedish apotek, farmaci
- apoteka place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- farmaciscience of medicinal substances
Tagalog botika, parmasya
- botikaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- parmasyaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Tamil மருந்தகம், மருந்துக்கடை
- மருந்தகம் (maruntakam)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- மருந்துக்கடை (maruntukkaṭai)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Thai ร้านขายยา, เภสัชศาสตร์
- ร้านขายยา (ráan-kǎai-yaa)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- เภสัชศาสตร์ (pee-sàt-chá-sàat)science of medicinal substances
- เภสัชภัณฑ์ (pee-sàt-chá-pan)science of medicinal substances
Turkish eczane, eczacılık
- eczanea place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- eczacılıkscience of medicinal substances
Ukrainian апте́ка, фармаці́я
- апте́ка (aptéka)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- фармаці́я (farmacíja)science of medicinal substances
- фармаце́втика (farmacévtyka)science of medicinal substances
- фармаце́втика (farmacévtyka)occupation of a pharmacist
Urdu فارْمیسی, دَوا خانَہ
- فارْمیسی (fārmesī)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- دَوا خانَہ (davā xāna)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- صَیدَلِیَّہ (saidaliyya)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Vietnamese nhà thuốc, hiệu thuốc
- nhà thuốca place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- hiệu thuốca place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- tiệm thuốca place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- dược khoascience of medicinal substances
- dược họcscience of medicinal substances
Welsh fferyllfa, fferylliaeth
- fferyllfaa place where prescription drugs are dispensed
- fferylliaethscience of medicinal substances
Yiddish אַפּטייק
- אַפּטייק (apteyk)a place where prescription drugs are dispensed
Cite this entry
APA
pharmacy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacy
MLA
“pharmacy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pharmacy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacy.
Source: pharmacy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.