clean-shaven

adjective

clean-shav·​en ˈklēn-ˈshā-vən How to pronounce clean-shaven (audio)
: having the hair shaved off
His colorful language is as much a part of his image as his clean-shaven head and bulging biceps.Roman Modrowski
especially : having a shaved face : having no beard or mustache
Her ideal mate is at least 6-foot-3, athletic and either clean-shaven or sporting a nice goatee. Ebony

Examples of clean-shaven in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Particularly because Monk is famously clean-shaven and on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Abe had a mustache. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2023 Lupita Nyong'o stars as Sam, while Joseph Quinn—who stole our hearts as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things S4—plays Eric, a clean-shaven young businessman. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2024 The woman appeared to be surrounded and being subdued by four officers when a fifth officer, a white man with a clean-shaven head, could be seen entering the fray to repeatedly hit her. Cristian Santana, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023 Gonzo was clean: clean fingernails, clean-shaven, clean white shirt. Martín Espada, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 The previously bearded fugitive is now clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt over a dark baseball hat, and is seen driving the white Ford van. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023 Doorbell video images showed Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes, police said. Marc Levy, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2023 Earlier photos showed him with facial hair, but he’s now described as clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweater. Dakin Andone, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023 Police believe the suspect is Latino, around 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a clean-shaven face and long black hair. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clean-shaven.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clean-shaven was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near clean-shaven

Cite this Entry

“Clean-shaven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean-shaven. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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