subcutaneous

American  

[suhb-kyoo-tey-nee-uhs] / ˌsʌb kyuˈteɪ ni əs /

Also subdermal

adjective

1. situated or lying under the skin, as tissue.

2. performed or introduced under the skin, as an injection by a syringe.

3. living below the several layers of the skin, as certain parasites.

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subcutaneous British  

/ ˌsʌbkjuːˈteɪnɪəs /

adjective

1. med situated, used, or introduced beneath the skin

   a subcutaneous injection

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subcutaneous Scientific  

/ sŭb′kyo̅o̅-tā′nē-əs /

1. Located or placed just beneath the skin.

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Other Word Forms

• subcutaneously
  adverb
• subcutaneousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of subcutaneous

From the Late Latin word subcutāneus, dating back to 1645–55. See sub-, cutaneous

Explanation

The adjective subcutaneous is a medical term that describes anything that exists or is inserted just below the skin. Unfortunately, you're most likely to hear the word subcutaneous at the hospital or doctor's office when you're just about to get a shot. The word itself is made up of sub, which is "under" in Latin, and cutaneous, which comes from cutis, meaning "skin." The only actual synonym for subcutaneous is hypodermic, which also usually describes a needle that is inserted below the skin.

Example Sentences

Subcutaneous injections deliver medication into the fatty tissue layer between the skin and muscle.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Subcutaneous fat showed no meaningful association with how old the brain appeared.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2025

Subcutaneous fat is under our skin, the kind we can all see; however, visceral fat covers our internal organs, like the liver, pancreas, and intestines.

From Slate • May 13, 2024

Subcutaneous fat is also a safety valve: Without such a zone for stashing extra fat deposits, they travel to the visceral region.

From Science Magazine • Jul. 29, 2021

Tertiary Lesions of the Skin and Subcutaneous Cellular Tissue.—The clinical features of a subcutaneous gumma are those of an indolent, painless, elastic swelling, varying in size from a pea to an almond or walnut.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis