cranial

adjective

cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
cranially adverb

Examples of cranial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Researchers at the Chega Sofla cemetery, which dates back to the fifth millennium B.C., found the remains of a young woman, whose skull had cranial bandaging, which changes the morphology of the skull. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025 When Pete suffered cranial injuries in a wreck in July. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025 And bones in the roof of its mouth provided clues about the evolution of a skull feature in birds called cranial kinesis, the independent movement of skull bones relative to each other. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 21 May 2025 Those three men suffered massive leg and cranial traumas, Okanogan County Undersheriff David Yarnell told NBC News. Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for cranial

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cranial was in 1800

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cranial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranial. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
: of, relating to, or directed toward the skull or cranium

Medical Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
: cephalic
the cranial end of the spinal column
cranially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on cranial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!