SINCE 1828
limbic system
nounDefinition of limbic system
: 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
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Something felt unbalanced, as if a stealth assault had been made on the limbic system, the lacy cortical network that forms the architecture of our primal needs and emotions: pleasure, anger, fear. — Guy Trebay, Condé Nast Traveler, "In the Heart of Navajo Lands," 19 Oct. 2018 Between ages 9 and 25, the prefrontal cortex and limbic system undergo stages of flux and reorganization. — Erica Komisar, WSJ, "Therapeutic Narratives Needn’t Be Factual," 3 Oct. 2018 The LHb connects to parts of the limbic system—which processes emotion—as well as reward centers that signal using chemical messengers associated with pleasure and mood, like dopamine and serotonin. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, "Getting the Inside Dope on Ketamine’s Mysterious Ability to Rapidly Relieve Depression," 2 Mar. 2018 What this means is that the symbol manipulation and tool wielding that is regarded as singularly human was grafted on the much deeper (and older) limbic system, which controls memory and emotional processes. — John Kaag, WSJ, "How Improvisation Happens," 14 July 2017 For those who enjoy—and who does not?—that pleasant stupefaction that comes from overwhelming the limbic system with fat and carbs and sugar and salt and liquor, chimaek is among the most potent delivery systems ever devised. — Wesley Yang, Bon Appetit, "A Fried Chicken Bender in South Korea," 9 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'limbic system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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