English Reference

Word

excision

Phoneticsex·ci·sion

US/ɪkˈsɪʒən/

UK/ɛksˈɪʒən/

Definition

n. the act of cutting out or removing a part of the body, like a tumor or a damaged organ. It is a common medical procedure to treat certain health problems.

n. the surgical removal of a part of the body, such as an organ, tissue, or growth. Often used in medical contexts to describe the complete removal of a pathological structure.

Examples

“The surgeon performed an excision of the benign skin growth.”

“After confirming the mass was non-cancerous, the doctor scheduled an excision to remove the cyst entirely.”

“The success of the procedure depended on the precise excision of the affected tissue while preserving the integrity of the surrounding healthy nerves and blood vessels.”

Examples

simple

“The surgeon performed an excision of the benign skin growth.”

contextual

“After confirming the mass was non-cancerous, the doctor scheduled an excision to remove the cyst entirely.”

complex

“The success of the procedure depended on the precise excision of the affected tissue while preserving the integrity of the surrounding healthy nerves and blood vessels.”

Real-World Examples

“They can almost always be cured by simple excision.”
Aeon · 29 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Middle French excision, from Latin excīsiō(n).

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

Word family

exciseNounexcisionNoun

Domain

Surgery

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/excision

English Reference