facially

Facially is an adverb meaning in relation to, or toward, the face. Derived from the adjective facial, it is used chiefly in medical, anatomical, and dental contexts to describe direction, location, or appearance associated with the face.

In anatomy, terms describing position often use facial directions. For example, a lesion described as facially located lies nearer to the face. In clinical notes, facially directed movement or expression refers to movements or expressions toward the front of the head. In dentistry, facially describes surfaces or directions toward the lips, as in facially positioned crowns or facial wear on the incisal edge.

The word comes from Latin facialis, from facies, face, with the suffix -alis and the adverbial -ly. This etymology reflects its core meaning related to the face and its orientation.

Because it is specialized, context matters; outside technical writing, its use can be ambiguous. It coexists with related directional terms such as lingually (toward the tongue), buccally (toward the cheek), and mesially or distally (toward or away from the midline). Related terms include facial, facial nerve, and facial expression, which describe aspects of the face itself rather than direction or orientation.