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 of cerebral

• intellectual

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

Rosalía poses increasingly impossible questions about destiny, God, and the meaning of everything; her vision of what global pop music can be (and do) comes across as cerebral and expansive. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

The scans are often used to check for aneurysms of cerebral vessels, conditions of the eye and inner ear, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord conditions, stroke, tumors and brain injury from trauma. —Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

The Nuggets have a skilled and cerebral roster profile, but not as much raw athleticism as some other teams. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Nov. 2025

Everest hopefuls should also be cognizant of high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which Cleveland Clinic describes as a swelling in the brain due to a lack of oxygen. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for cerebral

• intracerebral

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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