cerebral

American  

[suh-ree-bruhl, ser-uh-] / səˈri brəl, ˈsɛr ə- /

adjective

1. Anatomy, Zoology. of or relating to the cerebrum or the brain.

2. betraying or characterized by the use of the intellect rather than intuition or instinct.

   His is a cerebral music that leaves many people cold.

3. Phonetics. retroflex.

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noun

1. Phonetics. a cerebral sound.

cerebral British  

/ səˈriːbrəl, ˈsɛrɪbrəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the cerebrum or to the entire brain

2. involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct

3. phonetics another word for cacuminal

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noun

1. phonetics a consonant articulated in the manner of a cacuminal consonant

cerebral Scientific  

/ sĕr′ə-brəl,sə-rē′brəl /

1. Relating to or involving the brain or cerebrum.

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cerebral Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for things pertaining to the brain or cerebrum.

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Discover More

The term is also used figuratively to describe things that appeal to the intellect.

Other Word Forms

• cerebrally adverb
• intercerebral adjective
• noncerebral adjective
• overcerebral adjective
• postcerebral adjective
• precerebral adjective
• subcerebral adjective
• supercerebral adjective
• supercerebrally adverb

Etymology

Origin of cerebral

From the New Latin word cerebrālis, dating back to 1795–1805. See cerebrum, -al ¹

Explanation

If you are a cerebral person, no one would ever call you a drama queen. You make decisions using your intelligence and cold, hard facts, instead of your emotions. The word cerebral gets its meaning from cerebrum, which is Latin for "brain." Cerebral people use their brains instead of their hearts. The cerebrum is a particular section of the brain, and anything related to that part is also cerebral, like in medicine. A cerebral hemorrhage, for example, means a hemorrhage has occurred in the brain — a phrase you'd never want to hear coming from a doctor.

Example Sentences

“My folks left a special care trust for my brother, who had cerebral palsy. I am the trustee, along with my son,” she wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Reduced blood flow to the brain, which becomes more common with age, can also harm myelin and contribute to conditions such as cerebral small vessel disease and vascular dementia.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

“It’s just because it’s two cerebral basketball players,” James said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Logan Lye has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

But cerebral spinal fluid is just the doctors’ fancy way of saying brain grease.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Related Words

• analytical
• intelligent