What does excision mean?
Excision refers to the act of cutting out and removing something — most commonly diseased or unwanted tissue during surgery, as in the excision of a tumour or cyst. It also describes removing material from text or other media: editors speak of the excision of passages from manuscripts, and biologists use the term for deleting a DNA sequence from a genome. The word derives from the Latin excidere, meaning to cut out, formed from ex- ('out') and caedere ('to cut'), making it a cousin of words such as incise, concise, and even scissors. Excision carries a clinical, precise connotation; it implies complete, deliberate removal rather than incidental cutting. In medicine it contrasts with less invasive approaches such as drainage or observation, and phrases like 'surgical excision' and 'excision biopsy' are standard in clinical practice. Its exactness makes it valuable wherever clean, definitive removal is meant.
nounThe act of cutting out or removing something, especially by surgical operation; the removal of a passage of text from a written work or document.
- Surgical removal of tissue, a growth, or other part of the body.
- The removal of a word, passage, or section from text or other media.
- Genetics: the removal of a segment of DNA from a molecule.
"The surgeon recommended excision of the cyst rather than simple drainage."
"Wide local excision is the standard treatment for many early-stage skin cancers."
"The editor's excision of two paragraphs from the memoir caused considerable controversy."
Used mainly when referring to multiple separate acts of removal or several removed pieces, e.g. in medical reports or textual criticism.
"The manuscript contains several later excisions where scribes removed offending passages."
Excision shares its root with 'scissors' — both trace back to the Latin caedere, meaning 'to cut'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of excision
Excision comes from the Latin excisio, the noun of action from excidere, meaning 'to cut out', itself built on ex- ('out') and caedere ('to cut'). It entered English in the early 15th century, initially through medical and scholarly usage. The same Latin root caedere underlies a family of English words including incise, concise, decide, and scissors, all of which carry some notion of cutting.
Related word forms
How excision is actually used
Excision is formal and technical in register. It predominates in medical writing (especially oncology and dermatology), but also appears in editing, legal, and scientific contexts. The plural form is used mainly when referring to multiple distinct removals.
Easily confused with excision
An incision is a cut made into something, while an excision is the act of cutting something out and removing it entirely.