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.

Low muscle mass was defined as a skeletal muscle mass index below 9.36 kg/m2 for men and below 6.73 kg/m2 for women.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

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 • Feb. 10, 2026

The key lies in a skeletal feature previously seen only in bipedal members of the human lineage.

From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026

Sometimes the photos did not sell—a project Mia did with skeletal leaves sold only one, and for several months she took up a series of odd jobs: housecleaning, flower arranging, cake decorating.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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