What does circumcision mean?
Circumcision is a noun referring to the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis. The word carries both a purely medical meaning — the routine surgical procedure performed on infants or adults — and a significant religious and cultural one, being central to Judaism as the covenantal rite of brit milah and also practised in Islam and various other cultures as a rite of initiation or identity. In modern English the term appears most often in medical, legal, ethical, and anthropological contexts, where debates about its necessity, ethics, and health effects remain active. Related terminology distinguishes male circumcision from female genital mutilation or cutting, a separate set of practices now condemned internationally. The word derives from Latin circumcidere, meaning 'to cut around', combining circum ('around') with caedere ('to cut'). Its pronunciation stresses the third syllable, and its verb form is circumcise.
nounThe surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis; by extension, the ritual or religious performance of this act, as practised in Judaism and Islam and in some cultures as a rite of passage.
- Surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis.
- The religious or cultural rite involving this act, particularly the Jewish brit milah or its Islamic equivalent.
- (Rarely, in older medical usage) A similar cutting away of tissue in other contexts, such as female circumcision — now generally referred to as female genital mutilation/cutting due to the differing severity of the procedures involved.
"Male circumcision is routinely performed shortly after birth in many parts of the world."
"The newborn underwent circumcision on the eighth day, as is traditional in Judaism."
"Rates of infant circumcision vary widely between countries and have declined in recent decades."
The plural is rare, appearing mainly in medical or statistical contexts when discussing multiple instances of the procedure.
"The clinic reported that over a thousand circumcisions had been performed there last year."
The word comes straight from Latin 'circumcidere' — literally 'to cut around' — a description so precise it has survived unchanged for over two thousand years.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of circumcision
Circumcision enters English in the late Middle Ages via ecclesiastical Latin, ultimately deriving from the Latin verb circumcidere — literally 'to cut around' — formed from circum ('around') and caedere ('to cut'). It was first used in English chiefly in biblical and religious contexts, describing the Abrahamic covenant of Genesis, before broadening to cover the general surgical procedure. Cognate forms appear across Romance languages, including French circoncision and Italian circoncisione.
Related word forms
How circumcision is actually used
A clinical/medical register term; in everyday conversation it may be considered sensitive or personal. The phrase "female circumcision" is now widely avoided in favour of "female genital mutilation (FGM)" or "female genital cutting", reflecting the far more severe nature of those procedures.
Easily confused with circumcision
Circumcision removes only the foreskin of the penis, whereas castration removes the testicles.