cerebral
adjective
ce·re·bral
sə-ˈrē-brəl 
ˈser-ə-
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
Synonyms
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
The response generated by the production, however, is less emotional, more cerebral.
—
David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
In conversation, Rogers is open, generous, and cerebral.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
In adapting a sweeping and cerebral trilogy for TV, the new show forgets one of the original story’s biggest themes.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024
Aquarius is known for being cool and cerebral, which can come across as aloof.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Considering how cerebral the story is, and how theoretical all the alien stuff has to be, the creators do a good job of bringing visual interest to the story.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The writing is cerebral yet accessible (a rare balance for the director), rife with dark humor that satirizes how malleable world leaders can be — and the self-serving nature of the people pulling their puppet strings.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
While there’s a seemingly fertile idea in watching how an autocracy crumbles from within and without, as unchecked power breeds a kind of insanity, the more cerebral aspects largely get lost in the show’s eccentricities, overwhelming any sense of nuance.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
The Sea Eagles will look to counter this with very structured play, banking on the cerebral combination of Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic to score them points when needed.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
In conversation, Rogers is open, generous, and cerebral.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
In adapting a sweeping and cerebral trilogy for TV, the new show forgets one of the original story’s biggest themes.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024
Aquarius is known for being cool and cerebral, which can come across as aloof.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Considering how cerebral the story is, and how theoretical all the alien stuff has to be, the creators do a good job of bringing visual interest to the story.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The writing is cerebral yet accessible (a rare balance for the director), rife with dark humor that satirizes how malleable world leaders can be — and the self-serving nature of the people pulling their puppet strings.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024
While there’s a seemingly fertile idea in watching how an autocracy crumbles from within and without, as unchecked power breeds a kind of insanity, the more cerebral aspects largely get lost in the show’s eccentricities, overwhelming any sense of nuance.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
The Sea Eagles will look to counter this with very structured play, banking on the cerebral combination of Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic to score them points when needed.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Feb. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Cerebral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebral. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cerebral
adjective
ce·re·bral
sə-ˈrē-brəl
ˈser-ə-
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-
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
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