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.
Most of all, the movie’s distinction is in its stomach-churning smorgasbord of wild nightmare visions produced by the animatronics and makeup departments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I don’t want to do hair and makeup anymore, but I still want my message to get out there,” she told the outlet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Jones points out a hidden closet for suitcases, a Hollywood-level makeup vanity and the hotel’s line of custom citrus-scented bath products from the perfumer Lyn Harris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
This is because the chemical makeup of the coral skeleton -- the ratio of strontium-to-calcium and the different forms of oxygen inside it -- reflects the conditions under which it grew.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The two ships also carried theatrical scripts, scores of costumes, and huge quantities of makeup so that plays could be staged for the crew’s enjoyment.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
