surgical

adjective

sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl 

1

a

: of or relating to surgeons or surgery

surgical skills

b

: used in or in connection with surgery

surgical gauze

c

: following or resulting from surgery

surgical fevers

2

: characteristic of or resembling surgery or a surgeon especially in control or incisiveness

surgical precision

surgically

ˈsər-ji-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of surgical in a Sentence

The work was done with surgical precision.

Recent Examples on the Web

The series follows Oh Yeon-joo, a surgical resident whose search for her father — the creator of Korea's top webtoon, W — pulls her into the comic's universe. —Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Jets backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor will miss the rest of the preseason after recently having a surgical procedure done on his knee. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025

The Buckeye commit shredded double teams all season with blistering speed and surgical route running. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2025

The case upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming healthcare—including hormone treatments and surgical interventions—for transgender minors. —Time, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

surgeon + -ical

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing surgical

• pre-surgical
• surgical mask
• surgical spirit
• surgical strike

Rhymes for surgical

• chirurgical
• liturgical
• nonsurgical
• postsurgical
• dramaturgical
• metallurgical
• microsurgical
• neurosurgical

Kids Definition

surgical

adjective

sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl 

: of, relating to, or associated with surgeons or surgery

surgical skills

surgical equipment

a surgical fever

surgically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

surgical

adjective

sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or concerned with surgeons or surgery

surgical skill

2

: requiring surgical treatment

a surgical appendix

3

: used in or in connection with surgery

surgical gauze

4

: following or resulting from surgery

surgical fevers