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Glite Dictionary
✨ For appearance only 💄 A beauty product
cosmetic

cosmetic

60 3.5
A product you put on your body or face to improve your look
  • noun
  • /kəzˈmɛtɪk/
translation icon : producto cosmético
  • He was surprised to learn about the various regulations governing the sale of cosmetics in different countries.
  • cosmetics industry
  • a cosmetics company
  • a line of cosmetics

So I just started using the IT Cosmetics CC cream.

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Examples

  • My sister, Delores, a marketing consultant for a cosmetics firm, travels 80 percent of the year.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The new cosmetic line features organic ingredients that are gentle on the skin.

  • And you are in cosmetics as well?

    Like a Boss (2020)

  • It's a cosmetics line for... people of color.

    Queenpins (2021)

  • The cosmetics deal is going to fall through, but wait!

    Repo Chick (2009)

  • His mother works in cosmetics.

    Look Who's Talking (1989)

  • I will not lay out all my cosmetics for you to knock over.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Tomorrow she would move her clothes and cosmetics out of Mark's house and back to her own condo.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Serious adverse effects caused by cosmetics are infrequent compared to their widespread use.

    Academic text (2007)

  • She applied a cosmetic foundation to create a smooth base for her makeup.

Synonyms

makeup
vscosmetic
519 1.3

Products you put on your face to change how you look

is broader and applies to any body area not only the face
make-up
vscosmetic
36 2.0

Things people put on their face or body to change how they look

is the more general term for such beauty products

Compounds

cosmetic surgeon
  • Specialized
3 4.2

A doctor who does surgery to improve a person's appearance

cosmetic dentistry
  • Specialized
1 4.1

Treatment that improves the look of teeth and smile

How Effective

concealer
8 2.8
cosmetic
60 3.5

Surface Forms

cosmetic singular
cosmetics plural

Morphology

cosmetic = cosmet + ic

The noun meaning 'a substance applied to improve appearance' is directly recoverable from the adjective/root meaning related to cosmetics; knowing 'cosmetic(s)' makes this sense obvious.

Etymology

Cosmetic comes from the Greek root kosmein, which means 'to arrange' or 'decorate', and is related to cosmos ('order' or 'world'). So a cosmetic is something you put on your face or body to 'decorate' or change how you look.