1
[Middle English frontel, from Medieval Latin frontellum, diminutive of Latin front-, frons]
: a cloth hanging over the front of an altar
2
1
: of, relating to, or adjacent to the forehead or the frontal bone
2
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
Synonyms
Examples of frontal in a Sentence
Adjective
most cars have the engine in the frontal part
Recent Examples on the Web
Fox News, 29 May 2020
At the same time, the brain dampens the ability of our mid- and frontal cortex to use logic, criticize or think clearly.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 Feb. 2020
The workout takes your body through all planes of motion: sagittal (forward/backward), frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotating), as well as fundamental movements like squat, hinge, push and pull.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 24 Apr. 2020
From here, pending approval by Union Pacific, the bridge will cross over the river and the final 1,800-foot leg completed to provide a full frontal of Mossbrae Falls.
—Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 15 Mar. 2020
Following the frontal passage early Thursday, high pressure will build in from the Tennessee Valley with clearing skies and much lower humidity.
—courant.com, 28 Aug. 2019
The good news is that this frontal system is moving into the Plains today and will bring some showers to the area which should help ease the fire conditions in the region.
—Daniel Manzo, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2020
Before Euphoria premiered, the world knew one thing about the brand new HBO show: there is a locker room scene with about 30 full-frontal penises flopping about.
—Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 24 June 2019
Since the frontal cortex of an adolescent brain is still developing, teenagers aren’t fully able to reason or control impulses.
—Joelle Renstrom, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2020
Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Perhaps most disconcerting, Ecuador seems to be disproving one of the standard assumptions of security officials and experts on the drug trade: that Latin America’s crime bosses avoid frontal assaults on the state.
—Ivan Briscoe and Glaeldys González, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2023
Hahn didn’t respond to that frontal attack on his agency’s integrity.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Naegleria fowleri enters your body through the nose, crosses the epithelial lining and then makes a beeline up the olfactory nerve to the frontal part of the brain.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
The National Weather Service says a frontal system moving south from Alaska will bring chances of light rain overnight and into Wednesday morning with the best chances along the coast, and in the metro area where there’s a 60-90% chance of measurable rain.
—oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
Once the quintet joins in, the band becomes a mighty machine, which Demme glorifies with panoramic, frontal images, capturing the stage-filling energy.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2023
Symptoms mimic bacterial meningitis, with severe frontal headache, fever, nausea and vomiting being closely followed by a stiff neck, seizures, and coma.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
What's more, creatine supplementation is associated with a cognitive advantage for tasks relying on the frontal cortex, such as learning, memory, and attention, the Nutrients report says.
—Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 5 Sep. 2023
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Noun
Higher levels of stress are found in the hypothalamus; lower stress are found in the dorsal lateral frontal cortex.
—Fox News, 29 May 2020
At the same time, the brain dampens the ability of our mid- and frontal cortex to use logic, criticize or think clearly.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 Feb. 2020
The workout takes your body through all planes of motion: sagittal (forward/backward), frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotating), as well as fundamental movements like squat, hinge, push and pull.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 24 Apr. 2020
From here, pending approval by Union Pacific, the bridge will cross over the river and the final 1,800-foot leg completed to provide a full frontal of Mossbrae Falls.
—Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 15 Mar. 2020
Following the frontal passage early Thursday, high pressure will build in from the Tennessee Valley with clearing skies and much lower humidity.
—courant.com, 28 Aug. 2019
The good news is that this frontal system is moving into the Plains today and will bring some showers to the area which should help ease the fire conditions in the region.
—Daniel Manzo, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2020
Before Euphoria premiered, the world knew one thing about the brand new HBO show: there is a locker room scene with about 30 full-frontal penises flopping about.
—Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 24 June 2019
Since the frontal cortex of an adolescent brain is still developing, teenagers aren’t fully able to reason or control impulses.
—Joelle Renstrom, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2020
Adjective
And yet another weak low may pass as a frontal boundary sinks southward Friday.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Perhaps most disconcerting, Ecuador seems to be disproving one of the standard assumptions of security officials and experts on the drug trade: that Latin America’s crime bosses avoid frontal assaults on the state.
—Ivan Briscoe and Glaeldys González, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2023
Hahn didn’t respond to that frontal attack on his agency’s integrity.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Naegleria fowleri enters your body through the nose, crosses the epithelial lining and then makes a beeline up the olfactory nerve to the frontal part of the brain.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
The National Weather Service says a frontal system moving south from Alaska will bring chances of light rain overnight and into Wednesday morning with the best chances along the coast, and in the metro area where there’s a 60-90% chance of measurable rain.
—oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
Once the quintet joins in, the band becomes a mighty machine, which Demme glorifies with panoramic, frontal images, capturing the stage-filling energy.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2023
Symptoms mimic bacterial meningitis, with severe frontal headache, fever, nausea and vomiting being closely followed by a stiff neck, seizures, and coma.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
What's more, creatine supplementation is associated with a cognitive advantage for tasks relying on the frontal cortex, such as learning, memory, and attention, the Nutrients report says.
—Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 5 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frontal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing frontal
Dictionary Entries Near frontal
Cite this Entry
“Frontal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frontal. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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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
adverb
-ᵊl-ē
Medical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on frontal
Nglish: Translation of frontal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of frontal for Arabic Speakers
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