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Synonyms

carcinoma

American  
[kahr-suh-noh-muh] / ˌkɑr səˈnoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

carcinomas, carcinomata

  1. a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.

carcinoma British  
/ ˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə /

noun

  1. any malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue

  2. another name for cancer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
carcinoma Scientific  
/ kär′sə-nō′mə /

plural

carcinomas

  1. Any of various cancerous tumors that are derived from epithelial tissue of the skin, blood vessels, or other organs and that tend to metastasize to other parts of the body.

  2. See also basal cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma

carcinoma Cultural  

  1. A malignant tumor in the tissues that make up the skin, glands, mucous membranes, and lining of organs.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of carcinoma

1715–25; < Latin: ulcer, tumor < Greek karkínōma; see carcino-, -oma

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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.

One sub-type, ovarian clear cell carcinoma, has a particularly strong connection to the condition.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

The lesion -- clearly visible in recent weeks -- was a basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, said dermatologist Cristina Abdalla, who led the procedure at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

In some cases, cancer rates were up to four times higher, consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

That led to a biopsy, which in April revealed that Hamilton had Stage 2 triple-positive invasive lobular carcinoma.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

John had nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an extremely rare cancer that attacks the throat and nasal passages, but if the disease is caught early, 60 to 70 percent of patients can be cured.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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.