limbic system

noun

: a group of subcortical structures (such as the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation

Examples of limbic system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike our other senses, which pass through the brain’s primary sensory control center, the olfactory system has a direct pathway to the limbic system, a group of brain structures that regulate behavior and motivation. —Paul Nicolaus, Outside, 22 Nov. 2025

Specifically, the seat of our mental map lies in a part of the brain called the limbic system. —Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025

The overthinking loop, the freezing, the feeling young and overwhelmed—that's her prefrontal cortex getting hijacked by limbic system activation. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

Fear originates from one of the oldest parts of the brain, the limbic system, which goes into overdrive when people are faced with scary situations. —Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for limbic system

• cryptosystem
• ecosystem
• intersystem
• multisystem
• photosystem
• subsystem

Medical Definition

limbic system

noun

: a group of subcortical structures (as the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation