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cortical

American  
[kawr-ti-kuhl] / ˈkɔr tɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. Anatomy. of, pertaining to, resembling, or consisting of cortex.

  2. Physiology. resulting from the function or condition of the cerebral cortex.

  3. Botany. of or relating to the cortex.


Other Word Forms

  • cortically adverb
  • intercortical adjective
  • noncortical adjective
  • noncortically adverb

Etymology

Origin of cortical

1665–75; < New Latin corticālis, equivalent to Latin cortic- (stem of cortex ) cortex + -ālis -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some cortical areas showed increased receptor density, while reductions were seen in regions associated with reward processing, especially the habenula.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

The algorithm developed by Theilman and Aimone closely mirrors the structure and behavior of cortical networks.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

To assess how this interaction affected development, the team compared gene expression in the cortical region of the assembloid with that of a standalone cortical organoid.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

They found that neural activity spread from the thalamus into the cortex in wave like patterns, creating synchronized activity across cortical networks.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

I would like to help in that area of research, and in the search for radioisotopes that may be used in local cortical control, but I know now that I won’t have the time.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes