cosmetic
Americannoun
-
cosmetics
plural
-
a powder, lotion, lipstick, rouge, or other preparation for beautifying the face, skin, hair, nails, etc.
-
cosmetics, superficial measures to make something appear better, more attractive, or more impressive.
The budget committee opted for cosmetics instead of a serious urban renewal plan.
adjective
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serving to beautify; imparting or improving beauty, especially of the face.
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used or done superficially to make something look better, more attractive, or more impressive.
Alterations in the concert hall were only cosmetic and did nothing to improve the acoustics.
noun
adjective
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serving or designed to beautify the body, esp the face
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having no other function than to beautify
cosmetic illustrations in a book
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derogatory designed to cover up a greater flaw or deficiency; superficial
their resignation is a cosmetic exercise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cosmetic
1595–1605; < Greek kosmētikós relating to adornment, equivalent to kosmēt ( ós ) adorned, arranged (verbid of kosmeîn, derivative of kósmos order, arrangement) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Cosmetic refers to how something or someone looks. Visit the cosmetics department of a store if you are looking to buy lipstick, and visit a cosmetic surgeon if you are looking to buy new lips. The word cosmetic has to do with beauty and appearance. Cosmetic surgery makes someone look better, but isn't necessary medically, like heart surgery. A cosmetic change to a building only changes the building’s appearance. Cosmetic often means the same as decorative or ornamental. Also, cosmetics are items used to adorn, especially women, such as nail polish, lipstick, and eyeliner. All uses of cosmetic have to do with what's on the outside, not what's on the inside.
Vocabulary lists containing cosmetic
Elements of the Universe: Cosm, Cosmo ("Universe")
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Locomotion
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Interpreter of Maladies
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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.
See Examples For:
Castillo pledged Thursday to continue her focus on animals and cosmetic genetic engineering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Both series meet a cultural moment many middle-aged women would call miraculous, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic corporations would describe as profitable.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Kingscote believes the case demonstrates the need for a national approach to regulating high-risk cosmetic procedures.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The makers of popular GLP-1 drugs have condemned the use of their medications for cosmetic weight loss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
His black hair was slicked back, his face whitened with a cosmetic, and he carried a cocktail shaker.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
It may instead depend on persuading consumers that the food they eat, the medicine they take and the cosmetics they use were made according to rules they believe in.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Some cosmetics, medicines and supplements contain gelatin, animal fats, alcohol or other ingredients whose origins matter to observant consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The strength of Rhode, the skincare and cosmetics brand founded by Hailey Bieber, is helping to offset sluggish sales for e.l.f.’s namesake brand, which slipped in the latest quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the heart of the Yopougon industrial zone on the outskirts of the capital Abidjan, women working on a production line fill thousands of bottles of shea butter-based cosmetics.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
And everyone in the troupe learned the dangers of cosmetics at an early age.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
