frontal

1 of 2

noun

fron·​tal ˈfrən-tᵊl How to pronounce frontal (audio)
1
[Middle English frontel, from Medieval Latin frontellum, diminutive of Latin front-, frons] : a cloth hanging over the front of an altar
2

frontal

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or adjacent to the forehead or the frontal bone
2
a
: of, relating to, or situated at the front
b
: directed against the front or at the main point or issue : direct
frontal assault
3
: parallel to the main axis of the body and at right angles to the sagittal plane
4
: of or relating to a meteorological front
frontally adverb

Examples of frontal in a Sentence

Adjective most cars have the engine in the frontal part
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.
Noun
Williams has a string of successful businesses, including Go Naked Hair (a line of premium wigs, bundles, closures, frontals, lashes, and more), Pampered by Porsha (a luxury sheet collection) and Porsha4Real (her thriving YouTube channel). Dave Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025 There’s some nonsexual nudity, including brief full frontals, set in a virtual world. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Over four seasons of The Righteous Gemstones, viewers could rely on certain things: male full frontal, jokes about ass play, a moment of physical comedy from Edi Patterson’s petulant and petty Judy Gemstone that might cause your face to break from laughter. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2025 Or consider the sizable percentage of death row prisoners with histories of traumatic brain injury to their frontal cortex. Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frontal

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

New Latin frontalis, from Latin front-, frons

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frontal was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frontal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frontal. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

frontal

adjective
front·​al
ˈfrənt-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or next to the forehead
2
: of, relating to, or directed at the front
a frontal attack
frontally
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

Medical Definition

frontal

adjective
fron·​tal ˈfrənt-ᵊl How to pronounce frontal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or adjacent to the forehead or the frontal bone
2
: of, relating to, or situated at the front or anteriorly
3
: parallel to the main axis of the body and at right angles to the sagittal plane
a frontal plane
frontally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on frontal

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