Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

carcinoma

American  
[kahr-suh-noh-muh] / ˌkɑr səˈnoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

carcinomas, carcinomata

  1. a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.

carcinoma British  
/ ˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə /

noun

  1. any malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue

  2. another name for cancer

"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
carcinoma Scientific  
/ kär′sə-nō′mə /

plural

carcinomas

  1. Any of various cancerous tumors that are derived from epithelial tissue of the skin, blood vessels, or other organs and that tend to metastasize to other parts of the body.

  2. See also basal cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma

carcinoma Cultural  

  1. A malignant tumor in the tissues that make up the skin, glands, mucous membranes, and lining of organs.

Other Word Forms

  • carcinomatoid adjective
  • carcinomatous adjective

Etymology

Origin of carcinoma

1715–25; < Latin: ulcer, tumor < Greek karkínōma; carcino-, -oma

Compare meaning

How does carcinoma compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

In some cases, cancer rates were up to four times higher, consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma.

From Science Daily

Mammary carcinoma, an aggressive and common cancer in cats, provided some of the clearest insights.

From Science Daily

A study published last year in the journal Nature, for example, found that a personalized vaccine showed promise in forestalling recurrence of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of kidney cancer.

From The Wall Street Journal

The trial involved 12 people with several types of metastatic cancer, including melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and different forms of breast cancer.

From Science Daily

Other cancers that are influenced by this enzyme include glioma, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid carcinoma.

From Science Daily

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.