e·den·tu·lous

IPA/ˈiː dˈɛn tˈuː lˈuːz/
IPA/ˈiː dˈɛn tˈuː lˈuːz/

e·den·tu·lous — adjective

1. having no natural teeth — used especially in medical reports, dental records, an

1.adjective
Definition

having no natural teeth — used especially in medical reports, dental records, and descriptions of animals in scientific writing.

Example

Dr. Kim told Mr. Santos that his elderly cat was nearly edentulous.

medical register: used in veterinary context

The edentulous patient smiled warmly, showing her smooth pink gums.

Common collocations
  • edentulous patient
  • edentulous mouth
  • edentulous ridge
  • edentulous jaw
  • completely edentulous
  • partially edentulous
  • nearly edentulous
  • naturally edentulous
Synonyms
  • toothless

    the usual everyday word; 'edentulous' is strictly formal or medical

  • gummy

    informal, describes a smile showing gums because of missing teeth, not a clinical term

Antonyms
  • dentate

    technical opposite meaning 'having teeth'; very rare outside biology

Grammar Patterns

edentulous + noun (modifier)

be + edentulous (predicate)

Usage Note

This is a clinical or scientific term. In everyday conversation, 'toothless' is far more common. 'Edentulous' appears mainly in dental charts, medical reports, and zoological descriptions.

Common Mistakes

The old man is edentulous.' (in casual speech)
The old man has lost all his teeth.
'Edentulous' sounds overly formal in everyday conversation about a person's appearance.

Word family

  • edentulism
    noun
  • edentate
    adjective
  • edentulousness
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Edentulous' sits at the formal end of the scale — it is the standard clinical term used by dentists and veterinarians. 'Toothless' is the ordinary English word for someone or something that has no teeth; it appears in conversation, news, and fiction. 'Gummy' is informal and describes a smile where the gums are visible due to missing teeth. 'Edentate' is a narrower biological term for the order of mammals (anteaters, sloths, armadillos) that naturally lack or have simplified teeth. A dentist writes 'edentulous ridge' in a chart; a grandchild says 'grandma's toothless grin'; a biologist classifies a sloth as an edentate — the context determines the right word.

toothless ↗gummy ↗edentate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • edentulous state
  • edentulous condition

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'edentulus', built from 'e-' (meaning 'without, lacking') + 'dent-' (root of 'dens', meaning 'tooth') + the adjective suffix '-ulus'. English borrowed it directly as a medical term in the 1700s.