What does clitorectomy mean?
Clitorectomy refers to the surgical removal of the clitoris, an operation with a troubling history. In nineteenth-century Western medicine it was occasionally performed on dubious grounds, including as a supposed treatment for so-called female disorders, a practice now regarded as wholly discredited and abusive. Today the word appears most often in discussions of female genital mutilation, describing forms of traditional cutting practiced in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and in diaspora communities, that international bodies condemn as a serious human rights violation. The term derives from 'clitoris', whose ultimate origin is uncertain but attested in ancient Greek, combined with '-ectomy', from Greek 'ektome', meaning excision. Because the subject is sensitive, writers frequently choose the broader terms 'female genital mutilation' or 'female genital cutting'; 'clitorectomy' remains useful when the specific anatomical procedure must be named precisely, particularly in medical, historical, legal, and advocacy contexts.
nounThe surgical removal of the clitoris, a procedure most commonly discussed today in the context of female genital mutilation (FGM).
- Surgical excision of the clitoris, whether performed medically (historically, e.g. in the nineteenth century as a treatment for various conditions) or as a traditional practice now classified as female genital mutilation.
"The report documented the health consequences suffered by women who had undergone clitorectomy."
"Human rights organizations have campaigned for decades to end the practice of clitorectomy."
"Nineteenth-century physicians who advocated clitorectomy as a treatment are now viewed with condemnation by the medical establishment."
The plural is regular, formed by replacing the final '-y' with '-ies'. It typically occurs when referring to multiple procedures across patients or populations rather than repeated procedures on one person.
"The clinic treated complications arising from clitorectomies performed in childhood."
The word combines Greek roots for 'clitoris' and 'cutting out' — a term that exists almost entirely to name one of medicine's most contested practices.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clitorectomy
The word joins 'clitoris', borrowed into English via Latin from ancient Greek 'kleitoris', with the suffix '-ectomy', from Greek 'ektome' meaning 'excision', itself from 'ek-' (out) and 'temnein' (to cut). The '-ectomy' suffix became productive in nineteenth-century surgical terminology, yielding compounds such as appendectomy and mastectomy. The variant 'clitoridectomy' arose around the same period and remains common in medical writing.
How clitorectomy is actually used
A formal, clinical term that carries strong ethical and human-rights connotations because the procedure it names is widely condemned as a violation of women's rights. In contemporary usage, discussions of the traditional practice often prefer the terms 'female genital mutilation' (FGM) or 'female genital cutting', which situate the procedure within that broader human-rights framework. The variant spelling 'clitoridectomy' is more common in older medical literature.
Easily confused with clitorectomy
Clitoridectomy is the older, more standard surgical term for removal of the clitoris (or its prepuce), while clitorectomy is a variant form; both refer to essentially the same procedure.