cosmetic

adjective

cos·met·ic | \ käz-ˈme-tik

Definition of cosmetic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or making for beauty especially of the complexion : beautifying cosmetic salves

2 : done or made for the sake of appearance: such as

a : correcting defects especially of the face cosmetic surgery

b : decorative, ornamental

c : not substantive : superficial cosmetic changes

3 : visually appealing

cosmetic

noun

Definition of cosmetic (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is cosmetic: such as

a : a cosmetic preparation for external use

b cosmetics plural : superficial features a poem without rhetorical cosmetics— Guy Davenport

Other Words from cosmetic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cosmetic

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for cosmetic

Synonyms: Adjective

adorning, beautifying, decorative, embellishing, ornamental

Antonyms: Adjective

functional, utilitarian

Examples of cosmetic in a Sentence

Adjective

Almond oil is sometimes used in cosmetic products. medical procedures that are done for cosmetic purposes The changes were purely cosmetic.

Noun

Use a cosmetic to hide the scar.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

But according to Josh Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, picking tends to cause more harm than good. — Leah Prinzivalli, Glamour, "How to Get Rid of a Pimple Fast: 12 Dos & Don'ts of Fighting Acne," 17 Jan. 2019 Most people are handy with a paintbrush and can save some bucks handling cosmetic improvements themselves. — Brett Martin, House Beautiful, "Should You DIY Or Call A Pro?," 26 Dec. 2018 That means that laser treatments would be more obvious to the public than both bodily cosmetic surgeries and even eyelid surgeries, which can be easily obscured by sunglasses. — Katie Heaney, The Cut, "Hypothetically Speaking, Would 24 Days Be a Normal Plastic Surgery Recovery Time?," 5 June 2018 Now, the woman in that video has told Channel 2 Action News that the cosmetic surgery left her disfigured. — Terah Boyd, ajc, "Women say Gwinnett doctor invaded privacy with online video, photos," 4 June 2018 Phoenix looked as engineered as Las Vegas, or worse, like bad cosmetic surgery. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Finding the Soundtrack to My Desert Life," 25 Apr. 2018 Exercise, medications, cosmetic surgery, makeup — some people try just about anything in hopes of keeping time at bay. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Loyola's Sister Jean, feeling fine and having fun, is an example for us all," 26 Mar. 2018 The $30 cream also includes lanolin, which was suspected to have potential in simulating vernix back when cosmetic chemists first started working on a replica. — Marci Robin, Allure, ""Newborn" Cream Claims to Give Adults Baby-Soft Skin With a Surprising Ingredient," 29 Oct. 2018 Photo: Bang & Olufsen The speaker is essentially the Beoplay P2 with some cosmetic changes. — Dani Deahl, The Verge, "Bang & Olufsen made a Brown Bear speaker inspired by a Line Friends character," 28 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In August, the FDA took samples from several talc suppliers and cosmetics brands at all price points, including products from Maybelline, Nars, and Revlon. — Cheryl Wischhover, Vox, "Johnson & Johnson accused of hiding the asbestos in its baby powder for decades," 14 Dec. 2018 Macy’s bought the cosmetics brand, which was co-founded by Marla Beck, for $210 million in 2015. — Kristen Bellstrom, Fortune, "Wimbledon, Scarlett Johansson, House of Cards: Broadsheet July 6th," 6 July 2018 The cosmetics brand, acquired by Macy's for $210 million in 2015, will open about 60 new standalone stores through 2019 — maintaining the chain's pace of expansion. — Hema Parmar And Kim Bhasin, chicagotribune.com, "Macy's plans 60 new Bluemercury stores," 3 July 2018 The cosmetics brand, acquired by Macy’s for $210 million in 2015, will open about 60 new standalone stores through 2019 — maintaining the chain’s pace of expansion. — BostonGlobe.com, "No more plastic straws in Seattle," 2 July 2018 Of course, Kylie, who gave birth to daughter Stormi in February, was acclaimed for her namesake cosmetics brand. — Karen Mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kylie and Kendall Jenner Make Maxim's Hot 100 — but Where's Kourtney?," 14 June 2018 But talc is in a lot of other cosmetics and personal care products, like makeup and even lotions. — Cheryl Wischhover, Vox, "Johnson & Johnson accused of hiding the asbestos in its baby powder for decades," 14 Dec. 2018 Target is currently competing with their own one-day sale on beauty and cosmetics, and these savings are available today (July 17) only. — Maria Cassano, Allure, "Shop Target's One-Day Sale and Get 25-Percent Off On All Beauty Products," 17 July 2018 With few choices in Leh stores, cosmetics and clothing are popular categories for Amazon here. — New York Times, "Delivering Amazon Packages to the Top of the World," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cosmetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.