adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or used in surgery
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(of an action) performed with extreme precision
a surgical air attack on the missile complex
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surgical
Explanation
Things that are surgical have something to do with an operation performed by a surgeon, or something done with the level of precision a surgeon exercises. So, you could wear surgical scrubs or conduct a surgical strike. A surgical resident is a doctor who's learning to specialize in performing surgery, and the surgical wing of a hospital is the area where surgery is performed. Because what a surgeon does requires such precision and care, the adjective is also used to describe anything done carefully: "Surgical bombing is supposed to be much more precise, with narrow military targets."
Vocabulary lists containing surgical
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.
Surgical jargon, unlike corporate jargon, is unadorned, direct and, for the evolving surgeon, quite effective.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Surgical options for younger patients include a Ross procedure, in which a patient’s diseased aortic valve is replaced with their own healthy pulmonary valve, which in turn is replaced with a donor valve.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
Surgical mesh is used to support the vagina and organs including the bladder, the rectum, or the urethra.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Surgical sales were $1.2 billion in the quarter, up 5.2% year over year.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Surgical techniques then weren't effective or safe enough to search blindly for a bullet deep in the body or to repair vital organs.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
