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Meaning & use

facial

adjective, noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/
US/ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Connected with a person's face, including its shape, skin, or expressions.

    Grammar: Almost always placed before a noun: facial hair.

    He tried to read her facial expression.

    The boy has a facial scar from a childhood accident.

    Many men grow facial hair in winter.

  2. nouncountable

    A beauty treatment in which the skin of the face is cleaned, massaged, and sometimes covered with a mask.

    Grammar: Countable: have a facial, book two facials.

    Patterns

    • have a facial
    • give someone a facial

    She booked a facial for her birthday.

    The spa offers a deep-cleansing facial.

    After the facial, my skin felt softer.

Word forms

pluralfacials

Common combinations

facial expression
His facial expression showed surprise.
facial hair
He shaved off his facial hair.
facial recognition
The phone unlocks with facial recognition.
facial features
She has delicate facial features.
facial injuries
The boxer suffered facial injuries.
have a facial
I had a facial at the salon.

Synonyms and how they differ

of the face
This phrase is a plain way to say the same thing, but facial is shorter and fits fixed terms like facial hair.
cosmetic treatment
A cosmetic treatment is any beauty procedure, whereas a facial is only about the face.
skincare session
A skincare session is a broader, more casual term, whereas a facial is a specific treatment.

Word family

face noun
the front part of the head
face verb
to look toward or deal with
facially adverb
in relation to the face
interface noun
a point where two systems meet

Commonly confused: facial or fascial? facial or facet?

facial vs fascial

Fascial relates to fascia, the thin connective tissue around muscles, and is not about the face.

facial vs facet

A facet is one side or aspect of something, not an adjective for the face.

Practice

The security system uses ___ recognition to identify people entering the building.

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