adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or used in surgery
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(of an action) performed with extreme precision
a surgical air attack on the missile complex
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surgical
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."
Vocabulary lists containing surgical
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.
Always more famous for the surgical procedure than his career stats, John died Saturday, the Dodgers announced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He spent a year weighing up options and ruled out having a surgical procedure.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
USC opened training camp this week without the services of its top returning wideout, Tanook Hines, after the sophomore underwent an offseason surgical procedure that has yet to revealed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Other popular treatments include fractional laser resurfacing, which is meant to stimulate collagen production, as well as surgical procedures that remove fat from other parts of the body to inject into the face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Drs. Agnew and Hamilton were called in as expert surgical consultants.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
