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

Instead of my favorite Sierra vista, I saw total disfigurement.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 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

For Dowd, Lydia’s transformation ultimately hinges on her disfigurement of Janine.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

Under state law, plaintiffs in these cases can recover only $250,000 in noneconomic damages unless the plaintiff’s injury constitutes “substantial or permanent loss or impairment of bodily function, substantial disfigurement, or death.”

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2025

Their opulent clothing, elaborate and glittering, could not hide their disfigurement, and their unpleasant expressions made them hideous.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Related Words

• deformation
• malformation