neural

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or affecting a nerve or the nervous system
2
: situated in the region of or on the same side of the body as the brain and spinal cord : dorsal
neurally
ˈnu̇r-ə-lē How to pronounce neural (audio)
ˈnyu̇r-
adverb

Examples of neural in a Sentence

She suffers from a neural disorder.
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.
To some, the experiment provided the first proof that astrocytes are integral parts of neural circuits. Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026 Without being trained on neural data, the model produced a peculiar signal — one that was later discovered in actual brain activity. Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026 No modern industrial narrative would be complete without Elon Musk, whose ventures span autonomous systems, space infrastructure, energy storage, and neural interfaces. Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026 To this end, this new fibre chip can handle digital and analog signals, and is capable of simple neural-network style image recognition. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for neural

Word History

Etymology

Greek neûron "sinew, tendon, nerve" + -al entry 1 — more at nerve entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of neural was circa 1847

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Neural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neural. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

neural

adjective
neu·​ral ˈn(y)u̇r-əl How to pronounce neural (audio)
: of, relating to, or affecting a nerve or the nervous system

Medical Definition

neural

adjective
neu·​ral ˈn(y)u̇r-əl How to pronounce neural (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or affecting a nerve or the nervous system
2
: situated in the region of or on the same side of the body as the brain and spinal cord : dorsal compare hemal sense 2
neurally adverb

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