prefrontal cortex

noun

: the gray matter of the anterior part of the frontal lobe that is highly developed in humans and plays a role in the regulation of complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning

Examples of prefrontal cortex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Developmental research has long shown that the prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, judgment, and impulse control, remains under construction well into early adulthood. —Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

More of the processing power of the brain’s prefrontal cortex is dedicated to visual information than audio information, Ristovska notes. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2026

This technology delivers a gentle electrical current to the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain tied to mood regulation and stress response. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a large role in mood regulation, focus, and cognition, is on the left side of the brain’s frontal lobe, and Exomind uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate it during each treatment. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prefrontal cortex

• neocortex
• vortex

Medical Definition

prefrontal cortex

noun

: the gray matter of the anterior part of the frontal lobe that is highly developed in humans and plays a role in the regulation of complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning