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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
nounDefinition 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
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Other Words from cosmetic
Adjective
cosmetically \ käz-ˈme-ti-k(ə-)lē \ adverb
\ adverbSynonyms & Antonyms for cosmetic
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Adjective
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Of course, there are some problematic reasons for this, like societal pressures on women to keep looking young while not losing focus on career or family, and to use cosmetic procedures to literally keep up appearances.
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Holly Ojalvo, Quartz, "Your amazement at J Lo is ageist as hell," 5 Feb. 2020 Glazer expressed concerns that the types of surgeries that would have been prohibited under the bill’s defintion of intersex were too broad, encompassing cosmetic procedures and nonsurgical treatments for minors who are clearly boys or girls.
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Alexei Koseff, SFChronicle.com, "Major LGBT group revokes endorsement of Bay Area lawmaker over intersex bill," 28 Jan. 2020 The purse contained her ID, a credit card, and some cosmetic items.
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cleveland, "Pain meds missing from residence: Fairview Park Police Blotter," 24 Jan. 2020 Talc is an ingredient commonly used in cosmetic items such as baby powder and blush.
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Kristen Rogers, CNN, "Retailers are pulling Johnson's baby powder from store shelves," 25 Oct. 2019 The young women reportedly stole nearly $2,500.00 worth of cosmetic items from Sephora.
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Kim Fu, The Mercury News, "Teens arrested in Marin burglary may be linked to Bay Area thefts," 29 June 2019 During Apex’s first season, many players complained about boring skins and other cosmetic items that Respawn Entertainment made available.
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Julia Alexander, The Verge, "Apex Legends’ second season will work to fix its first," 8 June 2019 Full-size shampoo and conditioner and other cosmetic items are a no-go with a carry on.
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NBC News, "How to pack a carry-on (and save on airline baggage fees)," 18 Apr. 2018 That year, Americans spent $16.5 billion on cosmetic surgery; ninety-two per cent of these procedures were performed on women.
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Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, "The Age of Instagram Face," 12 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun No weapons were used during the cosmetics store theft and no weapons were recovered.
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Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "Sephora theft suspect shot by Fremont police after ramming cop cars, police say," 5 Feb. 2020 Anindito Mukherjee—Bloomberg via Getty Images Vinod Kumar, a 35-year-old shopkeeper selling women’s cosmetics in the Delhi bazaar, is looking for relief.
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Ari Altstedter, Fortune, "Amazon and Walmart Thought India Would Be Their Next Giant Market. India’s Shopkeepers Would Like to Disagree," 2 Dec. 2019 Fortnite and YouTube exist hand-in-hand, and now Epic Games is rolling out a new feature that gives players free cosmetics for watching matches on YouTube.
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Julia Alexander, The Verge, "Fortnite players can now earn loot from watching YouTube videos," 18 July 2019 So David Beckham is launching a male grooming brand, something with cosmetics for guys.
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Fox News, "California governor calls DOJ lawsuit a 'political stunt'," 7 Mar. 2018 Another venture developed by Ms. Janah is LXMI, a luxury cosmetics line that has the same mission as Samasource: to hire marginalized people and give them a decent wage.
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Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, "Leila Janah, entrepreneur who hired the poor, dies at 37," 1 Feb. 2020 Counterfeit cosmetics can contain everything from dangerous bacteria to human waste.
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Peter Navarro For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, "Navarro: Counterfeits harm Americans and threaten national security. Trump has a plan to combat them," 31 Jan. 2020 Another venture developed by Ms. Janah is LXMI, a luxury cosmetics line that has the same mission as Samasource: to hire marginalized people and give them a decent wage.
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Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Leila Janah, Entrepreneur Who Hired the Poor, Dies at 37," 30 Jan. 2020 In addition to food, H Mart also sells household items and cosmetics.
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Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, azcentral, "6 questions answered about Arizona's first H Mart and a look inside the Mesa megastore," 22 Jan. 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for cosmetic
cosmetic
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of cosmetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
: used or done in order to improve a person's appearance
: done in order to make something look better
: not important or meaningful
cosmetic
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of cosmetic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a substance (such as a cream, lotion, or powder) that you put on your face or body to improve your appearance
See the full definition for cosmetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cosmetic
nouncos·met·ic | \ käz-ˈmet-ik \
\Kids Definition of cosmetic
: a material (as a cream, lotion, or powder) used to improve a person's appearance
cosmetic
nouncos·met·ic | \ käz-ˈmet-ik \
\Medical Definition of cosmetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a cosmetic preparation for external use
cosmetic
adjectiveMedical Definition of cosmetic (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : of, relating to, or making for beauty especially of the complexion
cosmetic salves
2 : correcting defects especially of the face
cosmetic surgery
Other Words from cosmetic
cosmetically \ -i-k(ə-)lē \ adverb
\ adverbKeep scrolling for more
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Time Traveler for cosmetic
The first known use of cosmetic was in 1638
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