plastic surgery

noun

: a branch of surgery concerned with improving the function or appearance of parts of the body through reconstructive or cosmetic medical procedures

also : a procedure performed for such a purpose

Note: Reconstructive plastic surgery deals mainly with the surgical repair or restoration of an injured, lost, diseased, defective, or misshapen part or area. It typically involves the grafting of tissue (such as skin or cartilage) from one part of the body to another. Cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery focuses on enhancing appearance and includes surgical procedures (such as blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation) as well as nonsurgical procedures (such as chemical peels and botulinum toxin injections).

Examples of plastic surgery in a Sentence

He needed plastic surgery on his face after the car accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to them, the plastic surgery business is booming. —Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 July 2025

The first half of the surgery involved removing the tumor and ensuring clear margins; the second half, performed by the plastic surgery team, focused on rebuilding what had been lost. —Jordan Greene, People.com, 18 July 2025

Kylie Jenner and Kristin Cavallari are among the stars who recently surprised fans with their transparency about their plastic surgery procedures. —Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025

Kardashian’s youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, also recently got candid on social media about her plastic surgery, revealing to a TikTok user the details of her breast augmentation. —Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for plastic surgery

• cryosurgery
• microsurgery
• neurosurgery
• psychosurgery
• perjury
• radiosurgery

Kids Definition

plastic surgery

noun

: surgery concerned with the repair or improvement of lost, injured, defective, or misshapen parts of the body

Medical Definition

plastic surgery

noun

: a branch of surgery concerned with improving the function or appearance of parts of the body through reconstructive or cosmetic medical procedures

also : a procedure performed for such a purpose

Note: Reconstructive plastic surgery deals mainly with the surgical repair or restoration of an injured, lost, diseased, defective, or misshapen part or area. It typically involves the grafting of tissue (such as skin or cartilage) from one part of the body to another. Cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery focuses on enhancing appearance and includes surgical procedures (such as blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation) as well as nonsurgical procedures (such as chemical peels and botulinum toxin injections).