facial
Americanadjective
-
of the face.
facial expression.
-
for the face.
a facial cream.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- facialist noun
- facially adverb
Etymology
Origin of facial
1600–10; 1910–15 facial for def. 3; < Medieval Latin faciālis. See face, -al 1
Explanation
When you describe something as facial, it has to do with the face. Your facial expression is the smile — or frown — that you happen to be wearing on your face. Your facial features are made up of your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks — everything that together comprises your whole face. When you use the word facial as a noun, it means a spa treatment that usually includes a deep cleaning and moisturizing of the face. You might decide to get a massage and a facial at the fancy resort hotel where you're spending a relaxing week. The Medieval Latin root is facialis, "of the face," from facies, "figure, appearance, or countenance."
Vocabulary lists containing facial
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.
The scene is reminiscent of the heartbreaking moment in Peter Bogdanovich’s 1985 film “Mask” when a youth with a severe facial disfigurement discovered he looked normal in a funhouse mirror.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Your car’s sensors, cameras and microphones record your speed, how you drive, where you’re going, who’s with you, what you say, and biological metrics such as facial expression, weight and heart rate.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
Youth worker Shaun Thompson and Silkie Carlo, from campaign group Big Brother Watch, brought the claim over concerns that facial recognition could be used arbitrarily or in a discriminatory way.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
The singer announced he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a shingles outbreak that can cause facial paralysis.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
Ekman then began to layer one action unit on top of another, in order to compose the more complicated facial expressions that we generally recognize as emotions.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
