surgical

American  

[sur-ji-kuhl] / ˈsɜr dʒɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or involving surgery or surgeons.

2. used in surgery.

3. characterized by extreme precision or incisiveness.

   a surgical air strike against enemy targets.

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surgical British  

/ ˈsɜːdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, involving, or used in surgery

2. (of an action) performed with extreme precision

   a surgical air attack on the missile complex

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Other Word Forms

• nonsurgical adjective
• nonsurgically adverb
• postsurgical adjective
• presurgical adjective
• prosurgical adjective
• surgically adverb
• unsurgical adjective
• unsurgically adverb

Etymology

Origin of surgical

First recorded in 1760–70; surg(eon) + -ical

Example Sentences

User-friendly design can save lives by allowing for legibility and shared understanding, making it safer to run nuclear power plants, air traffic control towers, and robotic surgical systems.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Woods underwent “a long surgical procedure” on his lower right leg and ankle, according to a statement he released.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Other startups are launching or developing clinical-AI services in areas such as mental health and surgical rehabilitation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

"Prior to selecting this combination of antibiotics, the surgical team did not consult with the hospital's microbiology team for advice."

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

She found a box of latex rubber surgical gloves and a plastic shaker full of baby powder.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston