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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The artist needs no cerebral middleman to move the motif from the world to the page. Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 If anything, their Didi and Gogo (Winter plays the former, the more cerebral and anxious of the two, and Reeves the latter, the disgruntled yet tender beta clown) are still a little on the solemn side. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 Gillen remains on Eagan’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, and Kraft said the seven-time state champion coach provides pointers that help her with the cerebral side of the game. Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025 Other decisions were more cerebral. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cerebral

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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Cite this Entry

“Cerebral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebral. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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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