subcutaneous
Americanadjective
-
situated or lying under the skin, as tissue.
-
performed or introduced under the skin, as an injection by a syringe.
-
living below the several layers of the skin, as certain parasites.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subcutaneous
From the Late Latin word subcutāneus, dating back to 1645–55. See sub-, cutaneous
Explanation
The adjective subcutaneous is a medical term that describes anything that exists or is inserted just below the skin. Unfortunately, you're most likely to hear the word subcutaneous at the hospital or doctor's office when you're just about to get a shot. The word itself is made up of sub, which is "under" in Latin, and cutaneous, which comes from cutis, meaning "skin." The only actual synonym for subcutaneous is hypodermic, which also usually describes a needle that is inserted below the skin.
Vocabulary lists containing subcutaneous
Dracula
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Into Thin Air
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My Sister's Keeper
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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.
Researchers are testing the drug’s efficacy in patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis, also known as D2T RA; the treatment is delivered as a subcutaneous injection once a week.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Most body fat is subcutaneous, meaning it sits just beneath the skin.
From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026
Much of Keytruda’s future is tied to a subcutaneous formation of the drug, which was approved in September.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 3, 2026
For example, the company formulated the ADC so it could be delivered through a subcutaneous injection, enabling patients to administer it themselves—a vital aspect of creating a commercially viable product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
They felt this subcutaneous aching to let everyone know they were a spook, they couldn’t help it, it was like some charge or vanity of the culture, a la James Bond and Maxwell Smart.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
