acne

noun

ac·​ne ˈak-nē How to pronounce acne (audio)
: a disorder of the skin that is marked by blemishes (such as whiteheads, blackheads, or pustules) especially on the face, chest, and shoulders and is caused by inflammation of sebaceous glands and hair follicles
especially : a form found chiefly in adolescents
acned adjective
an acned teenager
acned skin

Examples of acne in a Sentence

a teenager with bad acne
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Through the gut-skin axis, an unhealthy gut or ongoing internal inflammation can contribute to conditions such as acne, eczema, rosacea, dullness, and sensitive skin. Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 25 June 2026 Range Beauty Created by Alicia Scott, Range Beauty focuses on sensitive, acne-prone, and melanin-rich skin. Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The formula combines an acne-fighting trio of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs to exfoliate away dead skin cells and unclog pores, while tea tree leaf water further targets breakouts, and calamine keeps excess oil in check. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 24 June 2026 Harvard Health reports the associations may stretch well beyond the gut, from autoimmune diseases like lupus, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, asthma, acne, obesity and even mental illness. Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for acne

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin acnē, acna, borrowed from Late Greek aknḗ "eruption on the face," manuscript variant of akmḗ, literally, "point" — more at acme

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acne was in 1743

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acne. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

acne

noun
ac·​ne ˈak-nē How to pronounce acne (audio)
: a disorder of the skin caused by inflammation of skin glands and hair follicles and marked by pimples especially on the face

Medical Definition

acne

noun
ac·​ne ˈak-nē How to pronounce acne (audio)
: a disorder of the skin that is marked by blemishes (such as whiteheads, blackheads, or pustules) especially on the face, chest, and shoulders and is caused by inflammation of sebaceous glands and hair follicles
especially : a form found chiefly in adolescents : acne vulgaris
acned adjective

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