spinal

1 of 2

adjective

spi·​nal ˈspī-nᵊl How to pronounce spinal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
3
: of, relating to, or resembling a spine

spinal

2 of 2

noun

: a spinal anesthetic

Examples of spinal in a Sentence

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.
Adjective
After more than three decades of hard living on the road, Snider has been mostly away from the stage since 2022, suffering from spinal stenosis. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025 Shelly has had two spinal fusion surgeries and suffers from chronic pain, which has prevented her from working full-time since 2015, the couple said. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
The sheriff’s office incident report noted Rodriguez Zavala had a pre-existing spinal injury and was taking medication. Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 The Reverie Recliner Sofa has a unique design that looks soft and cradles the body – from head support to full spinal alignment. Omaid Homayun, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spinal

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spinal was in 1578

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Cite this Entry

“Spinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

spinal

adjective
spi·​nal
ˈspīn-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or located near the backbone
2
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord

Medical Definition

spinal

1 of 2 adjective
spi·​nal ˈspīn-ᵊl How to pronounce spinal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
c
: used for spinal anesthesia
a spinal anesthetic
3
: made for or fitted to the spinal column
a spinal brace
spinally adverb

spinal

2 of 2 noun
: a spinal anesthetic

More from Merriam-Webster on spinal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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