disfigurement

American  

[dis-fig-yer-muhnt, dis-fig-er-muhnt] / dɪsˈfɪg yər mənt, dɪsˈfɪg ər mənt /

noun

1. an act or instance of disfiguring.

2. a disfigured condition.

3. something that disfigures, as a scar.

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disfigurement British  

/ dɪsˈfɪɡəmənt, ˌdɪsfɪɡəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. something that disfigures

2. the act of disfiguring or the state of being disfigured

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Other Word Forms

• nondisfigurement noun

Etymology

Origin of disfigurement

First recorded in 1625–35; disfigure + -ment

Example Sentences

Due to the quirks of weather — and possibly to prescribed burns that had cleared out excess vegetation — most of the grove survived without any disfigurement visible today.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Tole’s civil lawsuit, filed Monday in Marion County Superior Court, alleges that he suffered “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress, and other damages” as a result of Sanchez’s actions.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Those who survived the atom bomb, along with their descendants, continue to live in the long shadow of that day – wrestling with disfigurement, pain, and a decades-long fight for justice that remains unresolved.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

Relatedly, the defendants dismiss the possibility of Anderson’s C-section scar as disfigurement even though it will likely mean more C-sections in those future pregnancies.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2025

Jack was fine, no eye patch, no shard of glass sticking out of his eye, no permanent disfigurement.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

Related Words

• deformation
• malformation