anatomical

adjective

an·​a·​tom·​i·​cal ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mi-kəl 

variants or less commonly anatomic

ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mik 

: of or relating to anatomy or the body structure of organisms

anatomical studies/structures/mechanisms

The mollusks are divided according to common anatomical traits into seven classes …

—Carol M. Lalli and Ronald W. Gilmer

Mayberg has been mapping anatomical areas of the brain that are either hyperactive or inactive in depressed men and women.

—Siddhartha Mukherjee

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by a broad array of physiologic and anatomic abnormalities, but its most notable feature is disturbed glucose metabolism, which results in inappropriate hyperglycemia.

—George F. Cahill, Jr. et al.

anatomically

ˌa-nə-ˈtä-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

… in Africa and possibly in the Middle East, anatomically modern humans were evolving.

—Rick Gore

Examples of anatomical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Retzius made many anatomical discoveries in a distinguished career. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026

Genetic, anatomical and acoustic analyses confirmed that the monkey is a species that might have diverged from its closest relative around 4 to 6 million years ago. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 16 July 2026

The finding challenges long-standing anatomical assumptions and links spinal lymphatic dysfunction to neurological disorders and vertebral degeneration, reframing just how central this network is to whole-body health. — Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026

Now an elder statesman who by all anatomical metrics should be well past his peak, the 38-year-old is still central to everything Argentina do. — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anatomical

• astronomical
• economical
• comical
• neuroanatomical
• uneconomical