circumcision
noun
cir·cum·ci·sion
| \ ˌsər-kəm-ˈsi-zhən
, ˈsər-kəm-ˌsi-\
, ˈsər-kəm-ˌsi-\
Definition of circumcision
1a
: the act of circumcising
especially
: the cutting off of the foreskin of males that is practiced as a religious rite by Jews and Muslims and by others as a social custom or for potential health benefits (such as improved hygiene)
c
: the condition of being circumcised
2
capitalized
: January 1 observed as a festival in some churches in commemoration of the circumcision of Jesus
Examples of circumcision in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Muslim and Jewish groups in Germany and Slovenia have complained of government officials interfering in their religious traditions by trying to criminalize circumcision for nonmedical reasons. — Washington Post, "Government restrictions on religion increasing worldwide," 15 July 2019 Still, many parents decide against circumcision for their sons. — Rita Giordano, https://www.inquirer.com, "Art exhibit in Northern Liberties stirs up debate over circumcising infants," 4 June 2019 Some compared the ear piercing to male circumcision, saying that if one was OK, so was the other. — Leah Asmelash And Doug Criss, CNN, "Hilary Duff mommy-shamed after posting Instagram picture of baby's pierced ears," 4 July 2019 An art exhibit coming to Philly this week will stir up a decades-old debate: Infant male circumcision is a procedure many take for granted. — Ray Boyd, https://www.inquirer.com, "Summer Arts Guide; Philly World War II veteran finally gets justice | Morning Newsletter," 5 June 2019 The prevalence of circumcision in America is also a function of fee-for-service medicine. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "The World Is Better Than Ever. Why Are We Miserable?," 9 Mar. 2018 People took this as an opportunity to share their views on circumcisions ... — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Pink Slams "Disgusting" Trolls Who Attacked Her Son for Not Wearing a Diaper," 1 Apr. 2019 In another, about 100 people followed an emotional and sometimes good-humored debate on a potential age limit on male circumcision. — Martin Selsoe Sorensen, New York Times, "Where Danes Butt Heads (Politely) With Their Leaders," 23 June 2018 Researchers are still determining how much of a difference circumcision really makes here. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "11 Things Everyone Should Know About Uncircumcised Penises," 29 Dec. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'circumcision.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for circumcision
circumcision
noun
cir·cum·ci·sion
| \ ˌsər-kəm-ˈsizh-ən
\
\
Medical Definition of circumcision
1
: the act of circumcising:
a
: the cutting off of the foreskin of males that is practiced as a religious rite by Jews and Muslims and by others as a social custom or for potential health benefits (as improved hygiene)
2
: the condition of being circumcised
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