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Added 9 October 2026

cosmetic

/kɒzˈmɛtɪk/ adjective

In Latin: offūcia Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cosmetic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
a cosmetic preparation
External or superficial; pertaining only to the surface or appearance of something.
Fortunately, the damage to the house was mostly cosmetic and a bit of paint covered it nicely.

noun

Any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner.
A feature existing only on the surface.
An intangible influence that improves the overall perception of some thing or situation.

Origin

From French cosmétique, from Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmētikḗ, “the art of dress and ornament”), κοσμητικός (kosmētikós), from κοσμητής (kosmētḗs, “orderer, director, decorator”), from κοσμέω (kosméō, “to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish”), from κόσμος (kósmos, “order”). By surface analysis, cosmos + -etic.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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