circumcision

American  

[sur-kuhm-sizh-uhn] / ˌsɜr kəmˈsɪʒ ən /

noun

• circumcisions
  plural

1. an act, instance, or the rite of circumcising.

2. clitoridectomy.

3. spiritual purification.

4. (initial capital letter) a church festival in honor of the circumcision of Jesus, observed on January 1.

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circumcision British  

/ ˌsɜːkəmˈsɪʒən /

noun

1. 1. surgical removal of the foreskin of males

   2. surgical incision into the skin covering the clitoris in females

   3. removal of the clitoris

2. the act of circumcision, performed as a religious rite by Jews and Muslims

3. RC Church the festival celebrated on Jan 1 in commemoration of the circumcision of Jesus

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circumcision Cultural  

1. The surgical removal of the skin that covers the tip of the penis, usually performed soon after birth. Although circumcision is common in the United States, the procedure is no longer widely recommended as a medical necessity by physicians.

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Discover More

Circumcision is performed as a religious ceremony by Jews (see also Jews) and Muslims.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• circumcisions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of circumcision

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Late Latin circumcīsiōn-, stem of circumcīsiō, equivalent to circumcise + -ion

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circumcision circumcisions

Earlier this month, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, accused the government of antisemitism for investigating mohels, specialists in ritual Jewish circumcision, who potentially lacked medical training required by the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

A jury inquest which concluded on 8 October 2025 found the medical cause of death to be an "invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection following male circumcision".

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

To summarize, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top federal healthcare official, conjured up a connection between circumcision and autism via a relationship between circumcision and Tylenol that is unsupported by the research he cited.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025

"A more recent review of studies in this area finds no association between circumcision and any adverse psychological effects," he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025

Now, as the time of my circumcision approached, I was away at school.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

He also said that Belgium’s health minister, whom he called “very rude”, should change the law to allow mohels to perform circumcisions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

He even took arms against the Murdoch-owned New York Post, which posted its story with the headline, “RFK Jr. says Tylenol after circumcisions linked to autism,” and proceeded to debunk the claim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025

King Edmonds said she is not Jewish, but decided to use a mohel, a person who performs circumcisions in the Jewish faith, to perform the procedure in her home.

From Fox News ● Jan. 7, 2020

"I've come across loads of grownups who've had circumcisions and not had a problem, but it's the fact that these two boys both experienced post-operative discomfort, bleeding, pain and infection," he said.

From BBC ● May 11, 2019

Biobanks store appendixes, ovaries, skin, sphincters, testicles, fat, even foreskins from most circumcisions.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot