cerebral

adjective

sə-ˈrē-brəl How to pronounce cerebral (audio)
Definition of cerebralnext
1
as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mental
of or relating to the mind a young man given more to cerebral pursuits than to sporting activities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cerebral The child developed spastic cerebral palsy and was believed to have cerebral visual impairment. — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 With both of these planets transiting Air signs, there is a cerebral side to this alignment, presenting the opportunity to channel feelings of restlessness into something resourceful. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026 When he was hired in January, the prevailing thought was that the cerebral partnership between McDaniel and Herbert would prove a perfect match. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Yet despite the technical wizardry—dry-aging, fermentation, curing, meticulous butchery—the dishes never feel overly cerebral. — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cerebral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cerebral
  1. intellectual
  2. mental
  3. internal
  4. inner
  5. interior
  6. psychological
Adjective
  • Walzer thought the matter through aloud with me, at one point letting out a small chuckle at his intellectual perplexity.
    — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The 500-piece collection reflects the Black writers who have shaped her intellectual and artistic growth.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • The mental toll that comes with Ebola Losing relatives to disease outbreaks is always difficult, but responders say grief can be especially severe with Ebola in a country where the disease is viewed by many as evil due to rumors and misconceptions.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Their alluring quality belies their extreme toxicity; at times used as a hallucinogen, their ingestion can cause severe mental confusion and even death.
    — Tatiane de Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of mental
Adjective
  • State attorneys general alleged that Meta covered up internal studies on the impact of Instagram on teenagers’ mental health.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • An internal investigation found children between the ages of 13 and 15 appeared in 112,000 TikTok Live videos in January 2022 alone, according to employees' testimony in the March court filings.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of internal
Adjective
  • In Whalefall, Abrams screams and thrashes with the same vulnerability, and a few more inner demons.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Engage in activities that bring you joy or reconnect with your inner child.
    — Parents, Parents, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of inner
Adjective
  • The deputy pointed to Les Républicains leader and presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who was interior minister in 2023 when police shot a teenager of Algerian-Moroccan descent and sparked nationwide protests.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Her concern stems from the claim by the powerful interior minister, Amit Shah, who first said the voter revision would be aimed at detecting, deleting and deporting infiltrators.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of interior
Adjective
  • For relative newcomer Marwan Waleed, that means tense body movements and a downcast tilt to his head, reflecting the psychological toll of having been trapped in a locked van when kidnapped in Libya.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • My childhood school in Denmark hadn’t been turned to rubble but into an emotional battlefield, a psychological groundhog’s day of explosive arguments, violent brawls—and brief, fragile truces that always shattered when the home bell rung.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of psychological

Browse Nearby Words

ceramics
cerebral
cerebral palsy
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Cite this Entry

“Cerebral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cerebral. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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