What does depilation mean?
Depilation is the removal of body hair, typically accomplished through methods that strip hair at or near the skin's surface — shaving, chemical creams known as depilatories, or abrasive techniques. The word derives from the Latin pilus, meaning 'hair', joined to the privative prefix de-, indicating removal. It is a formal term, encountered most often in dermatology, cosmetology, advertising, and clinical writing; ordinary conversation favours the simpler phrase 'hair removal'. A useful distinction exists between depilation and its cousin epilation: depilation targets only the visible shaft above or just beneath the skin, producing quick but short-lived results, while epilation extracts the hair together with its root for longer-lasting smoothness. Beyond cosmetics, medical writers also use depilation to denote hair loss arising from chemotherapy or radiation, giving the term a clinical as well as a beauty-industry life.
nounThe removal of body hair, especially by chemical, mechanical, or other artificial means such as shaving, waxing, or the use of depilatories.
- The removal of unwanted body hair, whether temporary (shaving, creams) or longer-lasting (waxing, laser treatment).
- Loss of hair from the body, especially as a medical side effect or pathological condition (a sense now more often expressed as 'depilation' in clinical writing).
"Regular depilation of the legs became a widespread cosmetic practice in the twentieth century."
"She scheduled a session of laser depilation before her holiday."
"Radiation therapy can cause temporary depilation of the treated area."
Rarely used in the plural; 'depilation' normally functions as an uncountable mass noun referring to the process in general.
"Repeated depilations left his skin irritated."
The word comes straight from Latin pilus, 'hair' — so every tube of hair-removal cream carries a tiny piece of ancient Rome in its name.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of depilation
Depilation entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed via French dépilation from Late Latin depilatio, formed on the verb depilare, 'to pluck out or remove hair'. That verb combines the prefix de- ('away, off') with pilus, the classical Latin word for a single hair — the same root that gives English 'pile' in the carpet sense and underlies 'plush'-like pile fabrics through related Romance forms. Cognates appear across the Romance languages, including Italian depilazione and Spanish depilación.
Related word forms
How depilation is actually used
Formal and clinical in register; everyday speech usually prefers 'hair removal'. In dermatology and oncology contexts, 'depilation' may describe hair loss caused by illness or treatment rather than deliberate grooming.
Easily confused with depilation
Depilation removes hair at or just below the skin's surface (as with shaving or creams), whereas epilation removes hair from the root (as with plucking, waxing, or threading).