# cosmetic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /kɒzˈmɛtɪk/ · frequency rank #11,008

## Definitions
1. Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
2. External or superficial; pertaining only to the surface or appearance of something.

## Etymology
From French cosmétique, from Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmētikḗ, “the art of dress and ornament”), κοσμητικός (kosmētikós), from κοσμητής (kosmētḗs, “orderer, director, decorator”), from κοσμέω (kosméō, “to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish”), from κόσμος (kósmos, “order”). By surface analysis, cosmos + -etic.

## Easily confused with
- **cosmic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cosmetic-vs-cosmic)
- **cosmetics** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cosmetic-vs-cosmetics)
- **comedic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/comedic-vs-cosmetic)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ccosmetic`, `comsetic`, `cosemtic`, `cosmeitc`, `cosmetci`, `cosmeticc`, `cosmettic`, `cosmmetic`, `cosmteic`, `cossmetic`, `csometic`, `ocsmetic`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cosmetic