makeup
Americannoun
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makeup
plural
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facial cosmetics, as eye shadow or lipstick.
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cosmetics used on other parts of the body, as to cover birthmarks.
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the application of cosmetics.
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the ensemble or effect created by such application.
Her makeup was subtle but very effective.
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the total ensemble of cosmetics, wigs, costumes, etc., used by an actor or other performer.
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the manner of being made up or put together; composition.
the makeup of a team; the makeup of a situation.
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physical or mental constitution.
the makeup of a criminal.
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the art, technique, or process of arranging or laying out, as pages in a publication.
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the appearance of a page, book, newspaper, or the like, resulting from the arrangement and the variation in size and style of the printed elements.
The makeup would be helped by a picture in this corner.
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Printing. the arrangement of set type, cuts, etc., into columns or pages.
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an examination, assignment, or the like, given to offset a student's previous absence or failure.
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an amount owed; balance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of makeup
First recorded in 1805–15; noun use of verb phrase make up
Explanation
Your makeup is the sum of what makes you who you are, or the sum of what you smear on your face! You could say that your makeup is a combination of your parents' genes. Or, you could wear cosmetic makeup to accentuate those physical traits. Your makeup is every personality characteristic that, combined, form a unique person — but the makeup you put on your face can be used to disguise your real self a little bit. This kind of makeup is also called cosmetics, and it consists of things like lipstick, mascara, foundation, and so on. This meaning of makeup has been in use since the 1880s, a period when Queen Victoria declared it vulgar, only appropriate for stage actors.
Vocabulary lists containing makeup
Lesson 5
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"Mister Monster"
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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.
On the biggest day, for a scene in Numinor, the makeup department applied makeup, wigs and prosthetics to 324 performers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Stewart smudged her face with gray makeup, cut a few rips in her least-loved jeans, sliced up a gleaming white cardigan and held up a clipboard that read, “I Am Hungry Help Me!!”
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Their colors are especially valuable because they provide clues about the chemical makeup of their surfaces, much like fingerprints that reveal an object's identity and history.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Pop star Jade Thirlwall also attended the party in New York dressed as a stone statue of an angel, while Severance and Spider-Man actor Tramell Tillman turned up with intricate face makeup and prosthetics.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
“It’s just makeup, Fred,” I said, my voice a little distorted from my chin being pressed up into the air.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
