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Recent Examples of phrenology from the Web
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This belief isn’t based on empirical evidence, but on a 19th-century hypothesis about free will that has more in common with phrenology than with our modern understanding of how brains work.
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No chemistry department would extend an invitation to an alchemist; no reputable department of psychology would entertain a lecture espousing phrenology.
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When the original Neanderthal skull with the heavy brow and thick bones was found by quarrymen in Germany’s Neander Valley in 1856, British geologist William King interpreted them along the lines of phrenology and scientific racism.
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By Pankaj Mishra Back in the 19th century, powerful men legitimating cruel inequalities thought phrenology was objective.
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Some of these studies have not been replicated, and have been criticized as a modern form of phrenology.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phrenology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of phrenology
Greek phren-, phrēn
Medical Dictionary
phrenology
play
noun
phre·nol·o·gy
\fri-ˈnäl-ə-jē\
Medical Definition of phrenology
phrenologies
: the former study of the conformation of the skull based on the belief that it is indicative of mental faculties and character
Learn More about phrenology
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phrenology
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