cerebral

adjective

ce·​re·​bral sə-ˈrē-brəl How to pronounce cerebral (audio) ˈser-ə- How to pronounce cerebral (audio)
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 How to pronounce cerebral (audio)
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."

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 Additionally, Pisceans can struggle to form meaningful relationships with cerebral, unemotional air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius). Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 Tim is one of the cerebral Harvard guys, and Tracy's off-the-hook Brooklyn. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2023 Michael Bennet, the cerebral Colorado Democrat who, as a member of the bipartisan group known as the Gang of Eight, helped negotiate an immigration-reform bill that passed the Senate in 2013, joined. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023 Named the organization’s minor-league player of the year by Baseball America, Black reached Triple-A last season, using his cerebral nature and sinker-slider-changeup mix to post a solid 3.86 ERA over 14 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 This was a more cerebral buddy cop drama than we were accustomed to watching. Erik Kain, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Halloween, Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July, every one might take about three seconds to rummage through a cerebral rolodex of songs to find one that fits — yet Thanksgiving has next to nothing. Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023 In short, regular aspirin use significantly increases a user’s risk of major gastrointestinal or cerebral bleeding episodes. Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 28 Jan. 2024 Later, symptoms include cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion and agitation. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cerebral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cerebral was in 1801

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Dictionary Entries Near cerebral

Cite this Entry

“Cerebral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebral. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cerebral

adjective
ce·​re·​bral sə-ˈrē-brəl How to pronounce cerebral (audio) ˈser-ə- How to pronounce cerebral (audio)
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 How to pronounce cerebral (audio) ˈser-ə- How to pronounce cerebral (audio)
1
: of or relating to the brain or the intellect
2
: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
cerebral blood flow
cerebral toxoplasmosis

More from Merriam-Webster on cerebral

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