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
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2025
Meanwhile, companies continue to use talc in powders and cosmetics.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 23 July 2025
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Good candidates Many plastic surgeons discourage people with obesity from undergoing liposuction and other cosmetic procedures because of an elevated risk of infections and other serious medical complications.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmetic
Adjective
Its amusing cosmetic/munitions mash-up purposefully offset the more austere and traditional feel of Beinecke Plaza.
Oldenburg, who died in 2022 at the age of 92, became known for his giant-sized representations of everyday objects such as a hamburger, a trowel and an electrical plug.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2025
Meanwhile, companies continue to use talc in powders and cosmetics.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 23 July 2025
Noun
Gabriela Vasquez, 29, is among the younger patients using GLP-1 to undergo cosmetic procedures after rapid weight loss.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
Good candidates Many plastic surgeons discourage people with obesity from undergoing liposuction and other cosmetic procedures because of an elevated risk of infections and other serious medical complications.
—Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cosmetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cosmetic
Adjective
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On the contrary, a minimalist home can be both cozy, deeply personal, and set in a small space—just with decorative restraint in mind.—
Amelia Mularz,
Architectural Digest,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Unfortunately, many decorative planters don't include drainage holes despite this fact.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
On the most recent episode, the animated Noem was shown, among other things, in an ICE orientation video, first in a chair being made up by a makeup crew.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
8 Aug. 2025
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Tyla's makeup artist, Matthew Fishman, definitely deserves a shout-out too, especially for those intense eyes, created with Danessa Myricks colors.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Bayfront And Barge By the water, a giant ornamental stone barge juts into Biscayne Bay, designed to resemble a Venetian boat and double as a breakwater.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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Dahlias are in full swing, and many ornamental grasses are displaying their seed heads.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That is the title of a striking piece of artwork hung high above the London skyline, depicting a brooding photograph of Mikel Arteta marking out something that looked like stream-of-consciousness ideas in black paint.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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So why not jump aboard the latest paint color craze for an overhaul that’s perfectly on trend?—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The new species was identified by its coloring, overall size, finger and toe shape, body proportions and other subtle physical features, the study said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
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But this early in the fire season, the coloring serves as an inescapable reminder of greenhouse gas emissions and the mobility solutions that might reduce or at least slightly mitigate the future of radical weather crises.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cosmetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cosmetic. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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