cerebral

adjective

ce·​re·​bral sə-ˈrē-brəl  ˈser-ə- 

ˈse-rə-

1

a

: of or relating to the brain or the intellect

b

: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum

cerebral edema

cerebral arteries

2

a

: appealing to intellectual appreciation

cerebral drama

b

: primarily intellectual in nature

a cerebral society

books for cerebral readers

cerebrally

sə-ˈrē-brə-lē 

ˈser-ə-

ˈse-rə-

adverb

Did you know?

Cerebral comes from Latin cerebrum—a word meaning "brain." Another brainy word is cerebrate, "to use the mind" or "to think."

Synonyms

• blue
• eggheaded
• geeky
• highbrow
• highbrowed
• intellectual
• intellectualist
• intellectualistic
• long-haired
• longhair
• nerdish
• nerdy

Examples of cerebral in a Sentence

He's a very cerebral comedian.

a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work

Recent Examples on the Web

While our understanding of the brain has (thankfully) developed greatly from the days of removing cerebral tissue to see what would happen, a precise understanding of where our memories reside—and how our brain recalls past experience—remains elusive. —Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024

These complex responses engage a constellation of cerebral circuits that link brain and body. —R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 29 Sep. 2024

Measuring these changes involves a complex process of tapping into the cerebral spinal fluid, a procedure not commonly used in clinical practice. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Thatcher was more cerebral and sometimes sighed at Reagan’s loose command of policy details. —Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French cérébral, from Latin cerebrum brain; akin to Old High German hirni brain, Greek kara head, keras horn, Sanskrit śiras head — more at horn

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing cerebral

• cerebral artery
• cerebral cortex
• cerebral hemisphere
• cerebral palsy

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Kids Definition

cerebral

adjective

ce·​re·​bral sə-ˈrē-brəl  ˈser-ə- 

1

: of or relating to the brain

2

: of, relating to, or being the cerebrum

3

: intellectual entry 1 sense 1

a cerebral novel

Medical Definition

cerebral

adjective

ce·​re·​bral sə-ˈrē-brəl  ˈser-ə- 

1

: of or relating to the brain or the intellect

2

: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum

cerebral blood flow

cerebral toxoplasmosis