plastic surgery

noun

: a branch of surgery concerned with improving the function or appearance of parts of the body through reconstructive or cosmetic medical procedures

also : a procedure performed for such a purpose

Note: Reconstructive plastic surgery deals mainly with the surgical repair or restoration of an injured, lost, diseased, defective, or misshapen part or area. It typically involves the grafting of tissue (such as skin or cartilage) from one part of the body to another. Cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery focuses on enhancing appearance and includes surgical procedures (such as blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation) as well as nonsurgical procedures (such as chemical peels and botulinum toxin injections).

Examples of plastic surgery in a Sentence

He needed plastic surgery on his face after the car accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Swiss socialite was known for both her extensive and extreme plastic surgeries and her high-profile 1999 divorce from a billionaire art dealer. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

Our conversation, which has been edited and condensed, started with Darwin, before meandering through such subjects as nuns, Rome in the sixties, Andy Warhol, Madonna, and plastic surgery. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024

In response, plastic surgery that lifts faces is a growth industry, and Botox injections to smooth wrinkles are as common as manicures. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 26 Nov. 2024

Even the glitzy bars, exclusive car dealerships and plastic surgery boutiques catering to cartel lieutenants and their entourages are mostly closed. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1837, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

plastic surgery

noun

: surgery concerned with the repair or improvement of lost, injured, defective, or misshapen parts of the body

Medical Definition

plastic surgery

noun

: a branch of surgery concerned with improving the function or appearance of parts of the body through reconstructive or cosmetic medical procedures

also : a procedure performed for such a purpose

Note: Reconstructive plastic surgery deals mainly with the surgical repair or restoration of an injured, lost, diseased, defective, or misshapen part or area. It typically involves the grafting of tissue (such as skin or cartilage) from one part of the body to another. Cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery focuses on enhancing appearance and includes surgical procedures (such as blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation) as well as nonsurgical procedures (such as chemical peels and botulinum toxin injections).