cosmetic surgery

American

noun

plastic surgery for improving a person's appearance by restoration of damaged areas of skin, removal of wrinkles or blemishes, etc.

cosmetic surgery British

noun

surgery performed to improve the appearance, rather than for medical reasons

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cosmetic surgery

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These platforms don’t need beauty filters that show 12-year-olds what they’d look like after cosmetic surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The 34-year-old is now launching a new ITV reality show called The Heat, but dedicates much of her time to investigating topics such as cosmetic surgery, adult entertainment and online trolling.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

When confronted with internal email exchanges, Mosseri defended Zuckerberg's 2020 decision to allow cosmetic surgery filters on Instagram, despite strong objections from other executives who warned of their harmful effects on young girls.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Would I be financially reckless to spend $20K on cosmetic surgery?

From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025

Later on came more refined dentures, artificial limbs, corrective lenses, skull plates, hearing aids, plastic or cosmetic surgery, blood transfusions, all types of skin grafts, et cetera.

From Am I Still There? by Hall, James R.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023