cerebrum

American  

[suh-ree-bruhm, ser-uh-] / səˈri brəm, ˈsɛr ə- /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

plural

cerebrums, cerebra

1. the anterior and largest part of the brain, consisting of two halves or hemispheres and serving to control voluntary movements and coordinate mental actions.

2. the forebrain and the midbrain.

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cerebrum British  

/ ˈsɛrɪbrəm, ˈsɛrɪbrɪk /

noun

1. the anterior portion of the brain of vertebrates, consisting of two lateral hemispheres joined by a thick band of fibres: the dominant part of the brain in man, associated with intellectual function, emotion, and personality See telencephalon

2. the brain considered as a whole

3. the main neural bundle or ganglion of certain invertebrates

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cerebrum Scientific  

/ sĕr′ə-brəm,sə-rē′brəm /

plural

cerebrums

1. The largest part of the vertebrate brain, filling most of the skull and consisting of two cerebral hemispheres divided by a deep groove and joined by the corpus callosum, a transverse band of nerve fibers. The cerebrum processes complex sensory information and controls voluntary muscle activity. In humans it is the center of thought, learning, memory, language, and emotion.

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cerebrum Cultural  

1. The largest part of the brain, consisting of two lobes, the right and left cerebral hemispheres. The cerebrum controls thought and voluntary movement. (See cerebral cortex, left brain, and right brain.)

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Other Word Forms

• cerebric adjective
• cerebroid adjective

Etymology

Origin of cerebrum

1605–15; < Latin: brain; akin to cranium, horn

Compare meaning

How does cerebrum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cerebrum vs. cerebral cortex
• cerebrum vs. cerebellum

Explanation

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. Your cerebrum makes it possible for you to control your muscles — but also allows you to think, feel, and speak. The brains of vertebrates are composed of a cerebrum, cerebellum, and a brainstem, each of which is vitally important. The cerebrum is what you're thinking of when you picture a brain with its two separate hemispheres. It's here that you form memories and make sense of the world around you, and it's also the cerebrum that lets you control your leg and kick a soccer ball or do a dance move. In Latin, cerebrum means "the brain."

Example Sentences

They appear to have inherited several key traits, including expansion of the cerebrum, cerebellum and optic lobes, from earlier relatives before further adapting these regions for flight, Fabbri says.

From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025

Navaornis had a larger cerebrum than Archaeopteryx, suggesting it had more advanced cognitive capabilities than the earliest bird-like dinosaurs.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2024

Lemon's -ism appears have taproots into the frontal cortex of his cerebrum, entangled in a way that may be impossible for any amount of "formal training" to overcome.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2023

A study published Thursday in the Journal of Comparative Neurology suggests the dinosaur’s cerebrum contained enough neurons to solve problems and even form cultures.

From Washington Post • Jan. 9, 2023

Cer′ebro-spīn′al, relating to the brain and spinal cord together.—Cerebral hemispheres, the two great divisions of the cerebrum.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Related Words

• head
• intellect
• mind