English Reference

Word

castration

Phoneticscas·tra·tion

US/ˌkæsˈtɹeɪʃən/

UK/kɑːstɹˈeɪʃən/

Definition

n. the medical process of removing the testicles in a male animal or person. It is often done to stop an animal from reproducing or to treat certain health conditions.

n. the surgical removal of the testes in a male organism. Often performed for medical, behavioral, or population control purposes in both humans and animals.

Examples

“The vet performed a castration on the dog to prevent him from reproducing.”

“In some medical cases, castration is used as a treatment for certain types of cancer that are sensitive to male hormones.”

“Historically, castration was a common practice in various cultures to produce male singers with a high-pitched voice, though modern medicine has largely replaced this with hormone therapy.”

Examples

simple

“The vet performed a castration on the dog to prevent him from reproducing.”

contextual

“In some medical cases, castration is used as a treatment for certain types of cancer that are sensitive to male hormones.”

complex

“Historically, castration was a common practice in various cultures to produce male singers with a high-pitched voice, though modern medicine has largely replaced this with hormone therapy.”

Real-World Examples

“However, ministers are re-evaluating whether to press ahead with Shabana Mahmood’s pledge to explore mandatory chemical castration of serious sex offenders, such as paedophiles and rapists.”
The Guardian · 22 Aug 2026
“Strange gods were worshipped there—worship of the Syrian goddess Atargatis by “cross-dressing eunuch priests” who practiced ritual castration was banned more than once.”
JSTOR Daily · 17 Aug 2026

Etymology

From castrate + -ion.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Surgery

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/castration

English Reference