What does vulvar mean?
Vulvar means relating to the vulva, the external genitalia of the female. It is an adjective rather than a noun and is used especially in medical and anatomical contexts, including references to vulvar cancer, vulvar tissue, and the vulvar area. Although the term may appear in clinical descriptions of pain, itching, lesions, and infections, its register is formal and its meaning is anatomical rather than euphemistic. The related noun vulva names the anatomical structure itself, while vulvar modifies it or describes a condition involving it. Vulvar is recognized in both British and American English, although vulval is more common in British usage. The word is useful because it allows writers and clinicians to refer specifically to the external female genitalia without substituting a broader or less precise expression.
adjectiveRelating to or situated on the vulva, the external genitalia of the female.
- Relating to or situated on the vulva, the external genitalia of the female.
"The patient was referred for evaluation of vulvar cancer."
"Vulvar tissue was examined during the gynecological examination."
"The report described persistent vulvar itching and irritation."
From Latin vulva, meaning “womb,” the word became a precise modern medical adjective for the external female genitalia.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vulvar come from?
The modern English adjective developed from Latin vulva, a term that referred to the womb and also to the external genital opening or region. English adopted the Latin root in anatomical vocabulary, and the form vulvar was developed as an adjective expressing relation to that structure. The same root produced related medical terms such as vulvitis, vulvectomy, and vulvoscopy.
How vulvar is actually used
Vulvar is a formal or clinical adjective. It is used primarily in medicine, gynecology, anatomy, and health-related writing. Vulval is a chiefly British spelling variant.
Easily confused with vulvar
Vulvar is the adjective meaning “relating to the vulva,” while vulva is the anatomical noun referring to the external female genitalia.
Vulval is a chiefly British variant of the adjective vulvar.