Let’s talk about the word circumcision.

Because it’s a problem. Not just the act, but the language we use to describe it.

“Circumcision” Means Nothing

The word “circumcision” is derived from Latin – circum (around) and caedere (to cut). Literally, it means “to cut around.”

That’s it. It doesn’t tell you:

What’s being cut. How deeply it’s cut. What’s removed. Who it’s being done to. Or why it’s happening.

You could take a knife and trace a shallow line around your finger and by definition, you’ve “circumcised” it. You could cut around the edge of an orange.

That’s “circumcision” too. It’s a vague, hollow, almost meaningless term that tells you nothing of substance about what actually happens.

So why is this ambiguous verb used to describe a violent, permanent medical procedure on infants?

Simple: because it sounds clean, soft, and harmless.

Language Is How Culture Hides Violence

The way we talk about things shapes the way we feel about them. And in this case, the word “circumcision” has been weaponized to:

Minimize harm Mask the brutality Soothe parental guilt Shield doctors from accountability And keep the general public in a fog of vague medical consent

It’s the same linguistic trick used in war and politics. “Collateral damage” instead of “dead civilians.” “Enhanced interrogation” instead of “torture.”

“Circumcision” instead of “non-consensual penis skin amputation.”

Let’s Call It What It Is: Penis Skin Amputation

Is “penis skin amputation” a little long? Sure.

Is it less popular? Probably.

But is it accurate? Yes. Completely.

That’s what’s happening: a section of an infant’s penis full of nerves, blood vessels, and lifelong function is surgically amputated without consent.

That’s not a gentle “cut around.”

That’s not routine.

That’s not benign.

It’s amputation. Of healthy, functioning, living genital skin.

Let’s stop sugarcoating it.

Why Intactivists Must Change the Language

If we want to win this fight, we can’t keep using the enemy’s vocabulary. The word “circumcision” is part of the cover-up. It’s the PR term for something that would horrify people if accurately described.

That’s why from now on, I won’t call it “circumcision.”

I’ll call it what it is: Penis Skin Amputation.