What does depilated mean?
Depilated is the past tense and past participle of the verb depilate, meaning to remove hair from the body, typically by shaving, waxing, plucking, or chemical means. The word carries a formal, clinical tone that distinguishes it from more casual alternatives: where someone might say they shaved their legs or waxed their eyebrows, a dermatologist or historian would more likely write that the area was depilated. It derives from the Latin depilare, combining de- (away) with pilus (hair). The related adjective depilatory describes substances such as creams that dissolve or remove hair. While uncommon in everyday conversation, depilated appears frequently in medical literature, cosmetic writing, and accounts of historical grooming practices — ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all depilated for reasons of hygiene, fashion, or ritual. Its precise, slightly technical flavor makes it useful when a neutral, professional description of hair removal is required.
verbPast tense and past participle of depilate: having had hair removed, especially by chemical or cosmetic means.
- Having had hair removed from the body, especially by chemical, waxing, or other cosmetic means.
"The esthetician carefully depilated the client's legs before the treatment."
"The swimmer's depilated arms cut cleanly through the water."
"In ancient Egypt, both men and women depilated their bodies as a mark of cleanliness and status."
From Latin 'pilus' meaning hair, this clinical-sounding word makes even a simple shave sound like a medical procedure.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of depilated
Depilated comes from the Latin verb depilare, formed from the prefix de- (removal) and pilus (hair). English adopted the verb depilate in the early 17th century, and its derivative forms depilation and depilatory followed shortly after. The root pilus also gives us words like pileus (a bristly cap) and contributes to pilose (hairy), linking depilated to a small family of hair-related terms.
Related word forms
How depilated is actually used
Formal or clinical in register; everyday speech favors simpler terms like "shaved" or "waxed." Often found in medical, dermatological, or historical contexts.
Easily confused with depilated
"Depleted" means emptied or exhausted of resources or energy, while "depilated" means having had hair removed.
"Defoliated" refers to the loss or removal of leaves from plants, whereas "depilated" refers specifically to hair removal from the human body.