cosmetically
Americanadverb
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superficially or with respect to outward appearance only; merely for the sake of appearances.
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for aesthetic purposes; in order to enhance beauty, especially of the face.
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.
While the business of cosmetically modified, futuristic-looking pets remains in its infancy, animal rights groups worry that eventually the creatures will be created, sold and later discarded in crowded municipal shelters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
His efforts to cosmetically raise it to his standards have been staggeringly expensive, and ineffective in surprising ways.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
It is illegal to sell medicinal products containing Melanotan II in the UK but as the tanners are sold cosmetically they fall outside that remit.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025
This desire for cosmetically appealing food also extends to consumers, as we often prefer picture-perfect produce.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2024
She became so famous for this act that, after she was a victor, she had her teeth cosmetically altered so each one ends in a sharp point like a fang and is inlaid with gold.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
