surgical

American  

[sur-ji-kuhl] / ˈsɜr dʒɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or involving surgery or surgeons.

2. used in surgery.

3. characterized by extreme precision or incisiveness.

   a surgical air strike against enemy targets.

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surgical British  

/ ˈsɜːdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, involving, or used in surgery

2. (of an action) performed with extreme precision

   a surgical air attack on the missile complex

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Other Word Forms

• nonsurgical adjective
• nonsurgically adverb
• postsurgical adjective
• presurgical adjective
• prosurgical adjective
• surgically adverb
• unsurgical adjective
• unsurgically adverb

Etymology

Origin of surgical

First recorded in 1760–70; surg(eon) + -ical

Explanation

Things that are surgical have something to do with an operation performed by a surgeon, or something done with the level of precision a surgeon exercises. So, you could wear surgical scrubs or conduct a surgical strike. A surgical resident is a doctor who's learning to specialize in performing surgery, and the surgical wing of a hospital is the area where surgery is performed. Because what a surgeon does requires such precision and care, the adjective is also used to describe anything done carefully: "Surgical bombing is supposed to be much more precise, with narrow military targets."

Example Sentences

User-friendly design can save lives by allowing for legibility and shared understanding, making it safer to run nuclear power plants, air traffic control towers, and robotic surgical systems.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Woods underwent “a long surgical procedure” on his lower right leg and ankle, according to a statement he released.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Ghosh said endometriosis diagnoses in the UK had been delayed due to the condition's reliance on surgical intervention.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

The Singapore-based player in the fluorescence-guided surgery space is expected to maintain strong pricing power, supported by its market leadership and relatively low cost of indocyanine green as a percentage of overall surgical expenses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Five or ten Ebola-virus particles suspended in a droplet of blood could easily slip through a pinhole in a surgical glove, and that might be enough to start an explosive infection.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston