Synonyms

skeletal

American

[skel-i-tl] / ˈskɛl ɪ tl /

adjective

of, relating to, or like a skeleton.

Other Word Forms

nonskeletal adjective
nonskeletally adverb
pseudoskeletal adjective
skeletally adverb

Etymology

Origin of skeletal

First recorded in 1850–55; skelet(on) + -al ¹

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.

Navarro also built a detailed 3D physical model by layering muscle and skin over a skeletal framework.

From Science Daily

For decades, the site intrigued scientists because of unusual skeletal traits and the way the two individuals were laid to rest.

From Science Daily

Now the creatures' skeletal remains appear to have been found in an Iron Age dig near Cordoba.

From BBC

The skeletal “Drum n Bass” is filled with lines about needing to seem tough when the outside world required it.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he is best known for his inimitable, Surrealist pictures featuring skeletal, architectonic figures—merging humans, animals, foliage, totems and signs—which, though indecipherable, are instantly recognizable.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023