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
Once out of office, Ritchie practiced law in Baltimore but died unexpectedly in 1936, at the age of 59, of a cerebral hemorrhage.
—
Stan M. Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 15 July 2024
Writing in the eighteenth century, Smith compared energetic and often sensationalist Methodist preachers with the more reserved and cerebral parsons of the Church of England.
—Shadi Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
But that argument is part of the fun; to let your noggin push back against the way it’s being depicted can supply its own goofily cerebral pleasure.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Meanwhile, his wife is a stylish and gracious psychiatrist whose sister married a duke; his children are a cerebral lesbian fashion model and a hyperkinetic globe-trotting DJ.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cerebral 
Stan M. Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 15 July 2024
Writing in the eighteenth century, Smith compared energetic and often sensationalist Methodist preachers with the more reserved and cerebral parsons of the Church of England.
—Shadi Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
But that argument is part of the fun; to let your noggin push back against the way it’s being depicted can supply its own goofily cerebral pleasure.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Meanwhile, his wife is a stylish and gracious psychiatrist whose sister married a duke; his children are a cerebral lesbian fashion model and a hyperkinetic globe-trotting DJ.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cerebral
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 11 Sep. 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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