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

On Monday, authorities closed schools and colleges for two days and imposed restrictions on public movement by barricading many arterial roads.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 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

"The CT portion provides detailed anatomy, while the PET portion reveals metabolic activity in tissues. Using both imaging techniques together allows for the measurement of brain stress activity and arterial inflammation in a single scan."

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

“I mean, this is a major arterial road, and there’s no other way down to San Diego from Orange County without taking an hour-and-a-half detour.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2025

Here the sidewalks were shot through with arterial cracks and studded with menacing weeds that had evolved to survive torrential rain and the lack of pollinators.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline