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pelvic

American  
[pel-vik] / ˈpɛl vɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the pelvis.


pelvic British  
/ ˈpɛlvɪk /

adjective

  1. of, near, or relating to the pelvis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pelvic

First recorded in 1820–30; pelv(is) + -ic

Explanation

Anything pelvic relates to the pelvis, which are the bones at the bottom of your spine, below your waist and above your legs. Elvis got in trouble for shaking his pelvic area on television. Pelvis refers the bowl-shaped bones right below your gut and include your hips. The pelvis is the center of your body, and anything pelvic is therefore important. Men don’t usually have to, but women go for pelvic exams. The pelvic area is crucial in childbirth. It’s also an important part of dance – no one’s getting in trouble for hip shaking these days!

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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.

She quickly discovered that available pelvic models have hard plastic shells around the cervix where providers practice injecting; this prevents trainees from getting the necessary tactile feedback to learn where to inject.

From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026

"After repair we refer them to physiotherapy colleagues, who help them from the beginning - to do the exercises, teach them to avoid certain things like constipation and how to use their pelvic muscles."

From BBC • May 13, 2026

There was a 50% chance that the cancer would spread to his pelvic area.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Such hunting was an extremely risky business: The pelvic wound suggests that the hunter may have been directly beneath his prey, thrusting upward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

She must have had a pelvic arch of whalebone, for she had big children one after the other.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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