arterial

American  

[ahr-teer-ee-uhl] / ɑrˈtɪər i əl /

adjective

1. Physiology. pertaining to the blood in the pulmonary vein, in the left side of the heart, and in most arteries, having been oxygenated during its passage through the lungs and being normally bright red.

2. Anatomy. of, relating to, or resembling the arteries.

3. being or constituting a main route, channel, or other course of flow or access, often with many branches.

   an arterial highway; an arterial drainage system.

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noun

1. a main route, channel, or other course of flow or access.

   funds to resurface the main arterials of the city.

arterial British  

/ ɑːˈtɪərɪəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or affecting an artery or arteries

   arterial disease

2. denoting or relating to the usually bright red reoxygenated blood returning from the lungs or gills that circulates in the arteries

3. being a major route, esp one with many minor branches

   an arterial road

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Other Word Forms

• arterially adverb
• nonarterial adjective
• postarterial adjective

Etymology

Origin of arterial

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin artēriālis. See artery, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Each year in the UK, there are around 100,000 hospital admissions due to heart attacks, another 100,000 people experience a stroke and around 350,000 people live with peripheral arterial disease.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Those conditions are pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Analysts are also paying close attention to its new pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Winrevair, which brought in $1.4 billion in sales in 2025 and crossed the $1.0 billion sales threshold for the first time.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

According to the American Heart Assn., atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is caused by plaque buildup on arterial walls.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

The clouds parted, and the lightning’s true source revealed itself—not lightning at all, no, but fireworks bursting in arterial gushes of blue and crimson.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros