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

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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

The study found that on average the women looked 2½ years younger, according to an assessment by two cosmetic dermatologists not involved in the research. — Lisa Ward, WSJ, "The Benefit of Facial Exercises," 20 Nov. 2018 The other option for getting rid of fillers is to ask a plastic surgeon or cosmetic dermatologist to inject lips with Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that speeds us the rate at which the gel filler dissolves. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Kylie Jenner Reportedly Removed Her Lip Injections," 13 July 2018 And the needles reach only into the superficial layers of the skin, which is what makes the method semi-permanent (versus permanent, like traditional cosmetic tattoos). — Deanna Pai, Glamour, "Microblading, Microshading, and Microfeathering: What's the Difference?," 23 Dec. 2018 One of her most recent projects was a home for a couple in Milton; built in the 1900s, its features and original architectural details were beautifully in tact and only needed minor cosmetic tweaking. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "A Luxurious Dog Shower? Yup, This House Has One," 7 Dec. 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In a country that is often decades behind Europe in regulating commonplace ingredients in cosmetics, the questions raised in court were what Johnson & Johnson knew and when. — Elizabeth Inglese, Vogue, "Why Johnson & Johnson’s $4.7 Billion Baby Powder Lawsuit Is Important for Women Everywhere," 13 July 2018 In the interest of integrating philanthropy into cosmetics, in this past year alone Lipslut donated half of all F*ck Trump lipstick earnings to civil-rights charities targeted by the Trump administration. — refinery29.com, "This Lipstick Brand Has Donated Over $100,000 To Help Reunite Migrant Families," 9 July 2018 This is because the FDA can't do anything about the use of these terms regarding cosmetics. — Marci Robin, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About Organic and Natural Hair Color Formulas," 9 Jan. 2019 Once orders for the set began shipping to players, their outcry prompted Bethesda to respond with a token of apology: a $5 voucher for Fallout 76's in-game cosmetics store. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Bethesda’s attempt to fix a Fallout 76 blunder leaks angry shoppers’ PID [Updated]," 5 Dec. 2018 Friday is the day to stock up on makeup and other cosmetics. — Alex Watt, Redbook, "The Best Days for Holiday Shopping Deals Beyond Black Friday," 3 Dec. 2018 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

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.