facial
Americanadjective
-
of the face.
facial expression.
-
for the face.
a facial cream.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of facial
1600–10; 1910–15 facial for def. 3; < Medieval Latin faciālis. See face, -al 1
Explanation
When you describe something as facial, it has to do with the face. Your facial expression is the smile — or frown — that you happen to be wearing on your face. Your facial features are made up of your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks — everything that together comprises your whole face. When you use the word facial as a noun, it means a spa treatment that usually includes a deep cleaning and moisturizing of the face. You might decide to get a massage and a facial at the fancy resort hotel where you're spending a relaxing week. The Medieval Latin root is facialis, "of the face," from facies, "figure, appearance, or countenance."
Vocabulary lists containing facial
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.
Though widespread on the island state of Tasmania, they are listed as endangered and face a significant threat from a transmissible cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
An existing 10 Live Facial Recognition vans will rise to 50 and will be rolled out nationwide, to catch criminals on police watchlists, the Home Office said.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Facial age estimations will be conducted by ID verification company Persona on the Roblox app, with images and video to be deleted "immediately" after processing.
From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025
Facial recognition is another technology you’ll see on police dramas these days.
From Salon • Jun. 25, 2025
I decide to draw a picture for Mrs. Brook of some stuffed animals looking at the Facial Expressions Chart because I have that chart memorized.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
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.
