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[[Phimosis]] is a word that came into English from Greek. It is the name given to the condition of having a [[foreskin]] that does not retract. <ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/phimosis |title=phimosis |last=Anonymous |first= |init= |publisher=The Free Dictionary by Farlex |date=2016 |accessdate=2024-04-08}}</ref> A foreskin will not retract when the tip of it is too narrow to [[Gliding action| glide]] back over the [[glans penis]] so that the glans penis is exposed. Phimosis is classified as a condition, not a disease. It does not threaten health, so treatment of it is elective.
In newborn boys and toddlers, [[phimosis]] is natural and normal. It protects the [[glans penis]] from injuries and contamination. This natural phimosis, which is an adhesion of the foreskin to the glans due to [[synechia]], usually resolves by puberty, and in some men even later.