as in decorative
serving to add beauty
changes in the original design of the building were purely cosmetic
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Recent Examples of cosmetic
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Expect those cosmetic changes in the next several weeks.
—Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
It was also adopted by dermo-cosmetic brands for sensitive skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmetic
Adjective
The upgrade is mostly cosmetic but tailored for Bond fans — which is cool.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Expect those cosmetic changes in the next several weeks.
—Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Noun
These versatile salves might serve to treat a burn, as a facial cosmetic, or as a hair conditioner in a pinch.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
It was also adopted by dermo-cosmetic brands for sensitive skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cosmetic
Adjective
-
The building’s original interior — including one of the largest courtrooms in the state, a decorative wall, ceiling paintings, small wood balconies and patterned floor coverings — were restored in the early 2000s through the Texas Historical Commission’s program.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
-
Beau Bottles easy-to-use decorative bottle wraps transform champagne, prosecco and wine bottles into beautiful gift-ready presentations in under 60 seconds – just slip on and apply heat with a hair dryer.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
British makeup artist and designer Isamaya Ffrench has launched Studio Iron, a gallery and concept store in London that invites artists to create design objects and sculpture, that dissolve boundaries between genres, reports WWD.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
19 May 2026
-
But the moon’s geological makeup gives moonquakes a surprising persistence compared with earthquakes; the tremors can last for several hours.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Every generous gesture, every supposedly respectful question, every delicate expression of complete fixation becomes quietly infected by the growing understanding that Cole sees Māori humanity itself as something ornamental.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
-
However, recent studies have found that ornamental flowers and flowering herbs can be some of the best species for companion planting.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The coaster with a max speed of 66 mph took more than 20,000 hours to construct and at least 9,000 gallons of white paint for its gleaming appearance.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Pacoima neighborhood, function like paint to keep the ground from absorbing as much heat.—
Aya Diab,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Use a clean soap-dispenser pump to fill water balloons with a washable chalk-paint mixture (1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and a few drops of food coloring).—
Robin Westen,
Parents,
21 May 2026
-
The festival is also family-friendly, with a Family Fun Zone featuring temporary tattoos and henna, kids’ coloring and art stations, face painting and photo ops and a chill zone with seating and snacks.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cosmetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cosmetic. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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