skeletal
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skeletal
First recorded in 1850–55; skelet(on) + -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective skeletal to describe anything that relates to a skeleton or anything without a lot of "flesh," like the skeletal remains of a bird or the skeletal outline of a paper that is missing all the details. If you're a scientist or a doctor, you may use the word skeletal mostly to talk about skeletons, but it also describes someone who is dangerously thin. A skeletal stray dog has probably been living on the streets for a long time. This word is also used figuratively to describe something that has not yet been "fleshed out" — like a skeletal staff or crew that operates without a lot of support. The root of skeletal is the Greek skeleton, "dried-up body, mummy, or skeleton."
Vocabulary lists containing skeletal
STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Organisms and Environments 5: Human Systems
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: Inside Out & Back Again, Unpack and Repack–1976: The Year of the Dragon
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The US National Park Service said it received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The researchers analyzed skeletal remains from archaeological sites in northern and southern Vietnam dating to approximately 4,000 to 3,200 years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Evidence from the skeletal remains of children who lived in prehistoric Vietnam suggests that treponemal diseases could have been passed from mother to child thousands of years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Set in the 1960s, the colorful retro fashions hang off her skeletal frame.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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.
