Meanings
comparative more cosmetic · superlative most cosmetic
- Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
a cosmetic preparation
1 more example
Firſt, rob'd in white, the nymph intent adores / With head uncover'd, the coſmetic pow'rs.
1714, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC, canto I, page 127 - 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.
plural cosmetics
- Any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner.
These endocrine disruptors are everywhere: plastics, shampoos, cosmetics, cushions, pesticides, canned foods and A.T.M. receipts. They often aren’t on labels and can be difficult to avoid.
2021 February 20, Nicholas Kristof, “What Are Sperm Telling Us?”, in The New York Times, →ISSNSynonyms: beauty product, makeup, make-up, product[Appendix:Glossary, slap, war paint
- A feature existing only on the surface.
- An intangible influence that improves the overall perception of some thing or situation.
All depends upon circumstances—anger as much as any thing else. Interest is your only true cosmetic for smoothing the brow.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 217
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveserving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
adjectiveserving an aesthetic purpose in beautifying the body
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκοσμητική“the art of dress and ornament”
- Frenchcosmétique
- Englishcosmetic
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.
More words from French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَجْمِيلِيّ, تَجْمِيلِيّ
- تَجْمِيلِيّ (tajmīliyy)imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion
- تَجْمِيلِيّ (tajmīliyy)external or superficial
Bulgarian козметичен, козметичен
- козметичен (kozmetičen)imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion
- козметичен (kozmetičen)external or superficial
- козме́тика (kozmétika)any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Catalan cosmètic, cosmètic
- cosmèticexternal or superficial
- cosmèticany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Czech kosmetický, kosmetika
- kosmetickýexternal or superficial
- kosmetikaany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Finnish kosmeettinen, kosmetiikka
- kosmeettinenexternal or superficial
- kosmetiikkaany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
French cosmétique, cosmétiques
- cosmétiqueany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
- cosmétiquesany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
German kosmetisch, Kosmetikum
- kosmetischexternal or superficial
- Kosmetikumany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
- Kosmetikany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
- Hautverschönerungsmittelany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Greek καλλυντικό
- καλλυντικό (kallyntikó)any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Hungarian kozmetikai, kozmetikum
- kozmetikaiexternal or superficial
- kozmetikumany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
- szépítőszerany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Latin offūcia
- offūciaany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Māori whakapaipai
- whakapaipaiimparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion
Norwegian Bokmål kosmetisk
- kosmetiskexternal or superficial
Polish kosmetyczny, powierzchowny
- kosmetycznyimparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion
- powierzchownyexternal or superficial
- kosmetykany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Portuguese cosmético, cosmético
- cosméticoexternal or superficial
- cosméticoany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Russian космети́ческий, космети́ческий
- космети́ческий (kosmetíčeskij)imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion
- космети́ческий (kosmetíčeskij)external or superficial
- косме́тика (kosmétika)any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Spanish cosmético, superficial
- cosméticoexternal or superficial
- superficialexternal or superficial
- cosméticoany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
- afeiteany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Swedish kosmetik
- kosmetikany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Tagalog kosmetiko
- kosmetikoany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Vietnamese mỹ phẩm
- mỹ phẩmany substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Yiddish קאָסמעטיק
- קאָסמעטיק (kosmetik)any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
Cite this entry
cosmetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmetic
“cosmetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmetic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cosmetic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmetic.
Source: cosmetic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.