neurotransmitter

noun

neu·​ro·​trans·​mit·​ter ˌnu̇r-ō-tran(t)s-ˈmi-tər 

-tranz-, 

ˌnyu̇r-

: a substance (such as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse

Examples of neurotransmitter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oxytocin is a naturally occurring, calming neurotransmitter. —Stefanie Groner, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026

Drinking water helps restore blood volume, supports neurotransmitter function, and improves oxygen delivery. —Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2026

One day in 1989, Smith’s graduate student Steve Finkbeiner (now a neurologist at the nonprofit Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco) was using the microscope to explore the potentially toxic effects of the neurotransmitter glutamate, the molecule most neurons in the brain use to communicate. —Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026

Stimulating the vagus nerve can actually send calming signals from the body to the brain, which Bianchini says then prompts the release of calming neurotransmitters. —Jessie Quinn, Flow Space, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neurotransmitter

• babysitter
• bitter
• critter
• fitter
• fritter
• glitter
• hitter
• jitter
• knitter
• litter
• quitter
• ritter

Kids Definition

neurotransmitter

noun

neu·​ro·​trans·​mit·​ter ˌn(y)u̇r-ō-tran(t)s-ˈmit-ər 

-tranz-

: a substance (as acetylcholine) that carries a nerve impulse from one neuron to another across a synapse

Medical Definition

neurotransmitter

noun

neu·​ro·​trans·​mit·​ter ˌn(y)u̇r-ō-tran(t)s-ˈmit-ər, -tranz- 

: a substance (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse see false neurotransmitter