ENGLISH
REFERENCE

prosthetic

adj.
C1 Advanced US //pɹɑsˈθɛtɪk// UK //pɹəsθˈɛtɪk// pros·thet·ic

adj. describing an artificial body part that replaces one that is missing. It helps a person move or do things they could not do otherwise.

adj. relating to an artificial device used to replace a missing body part. Typically used attributively to modify nouns like 'limb', 'leg', or 'arm'.


SIMPLE

He wears a prosthetic leg to run races.

CONTEXTUAL

Advances in robotics have led to prosthetic limbs that can respond to signals from the user's brain.

COMPLEX

The athlete demonstrated remarkable agility with her carbon-fiber prosthetic, proving that modern engineering can effectively bridge the gap between biological loss and functional recovery.

Origin

From New Latin prostheticus, from Ancient Greek προσθετικός (prosthetikós, “adding; repletive; giving additional power”), from πρόσθεσις (prósthesis, “addition”), from προστίθημι (prostíthēmi, “I add”), from πρός (prós, “towards”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I place”). By surface analysis, prosth- + -etic.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often used in medical or technical contexts.

© 2026 English Reference