Synonyms

skeletal

American

[skel-i-tl] / ˈskɛl ɪ tl /

adjective

of, relating to, or like a skeleton.

Other Word Forms

nonskeletal adjective
nonskeletally adverb
pseudoskeletal adjective
skeletally adverb

Etymology

Origin of skeletal

First recorded in 1850–55; skelet(on) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The palm wood snaking through the center of Mohammad Al Faraj’s eerie installation seems like the skeletal vertebrae of some giant creature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

He is an associate professor and researcher in molecular skeletal biology at Lund University.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

For decades, the site intrigued scientists because of unusual skeletal traits and the way the two individuals were laid to rest.

From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026

Now the creatures' skeletal remains appear to have been found in an Iron Age dig near Cordoba.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

A ghostly, skeletal arm reaches out from behind it, scratching and clawing to reach me.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023