English Reference

Word

deformity

Phoneticsde·for·mi·ty

US/dɪˈfɔɹməti/

UK/dɪfˈɔːmɪti/

Definition

n. a physical change in a body part that makes it look or work differently from normal. It can be something you are born with or something that happens later in life.

n. a physical condition in which a body part or organ is malformed or misaligned. Often used in medical contexts to describe congenital or acquired structural abnormalities.

Examples

“The doctor checked for any signs of a physical deformity.”

“The surgeon performed a complex procedure to correct the deformity in the patient's spine.”

“While some physical deformities are purely cosmetic, others can significantly impact a person's ability to perform daily tasks or maintain their health.”

Examples

simple

“The doctor checked for any signs of a physical deformity.”

contextual

“The surgeon performed a complex procedure to correct the deformity in the patient's spine.”

complex

“While some physical deformities are purely cosmetic, others can significantly impact a person's ability to perform daily tasks or maintain their health.”

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English deformite, from Middle French deformite, from Latin dēfōrmitās (“deformity, ugliness”), from dēfōrmis (“deformed, ugly”) + -itās, from dē + fōrma (“shape, form”).

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

Word family

deformedAdjectivedeformityNoun

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference