Cosmetic

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /kɒzˈmɛtɪk/

Definitions

1. A substance or preparation applied to the face or body to improve or alter its appearance
2. Pertaining to treatments or changes made to improve visual appeal ; a preparation used on skin or hair to enhance how someone looks
3. Connected with improving outward appearance or aesthetics ; a substance applied for beautifying purposes

Etymology: Ancient Greek "kosmos" meant "order," and the "kosmos" that gave us "cosmos" is the same word: the universe was thought of as a well-ordered whole. From the verb "kosmeō," "to order, arrange, adorn," the Greeks formed "kosmētikos," the art of dressing and adorning oneself. Ornament and order were close kin in that worldview, so making someone presentable was a kind of putting things in order. The word passed through French "cosmétique," which took up the sense of beautifying the person, and English adopted it in that form. Its shape is what the source calls a surface analysis of "cosmos" plus the "-etic" ending, which is why the word looks like a relative of "cosmic" even though its meaning has moved from celestial order to the bathroom shelf.

Synonyms: aesthetic, decorative, beautifying, superficial, makeup-related

Antonyms: functional, practical, utilitarian, essential, genuine