prefrontal

American  

[pree-fruhn-tl] / priˈfrʌn tl /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. anterior to, situated in, or pertaining to the anterior part of a frontal structure.

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prefrontal British  

/ priːˈfrʌntəl /

adjective

1. situated in, involving, or relating to the foremost part of the frontal lobe of the brain

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Etymology

Origin of prefrontal

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + frontal

Explanation

Use the adjective prefrontal when you're talking about the very front part of the brain. Take care of your prefrontal cortex; it controls your personality. In an anatomy class, you'd gain a lot of information about the prefrontal cortex, since it's a vital section of the brain. The word prefrontal comes up in discussions of non-human animals as well, usually describing their brains, but sometimes in discussions of the skull, specifically the bones in front of a bird's or reptile's eye socket. Prefrontal combines pre-, "before," with frontal, "being in front," emphasizing the far forward location.

Example Sentences

The research showed a measurable decline in the performance of the prefrontal cortex between initial scans and five-year follow-ups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Changes in their activity also influenced how fear-related signals reached the prefrontal cortex, a region involved in decision-making.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Even before I first saw the film during last year’s Sundance Film Festival, this one-line elevator pitch was taking up all the space in my prefrontal cortex.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

This reduction was most clearly seen in the prefrontal cortex, a region involved in thinking, emotional regulation and decision-making.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2025

These are “executive function” tasks, meaning they engage the prefrontal cortex, that all-important part of the brain involved in focus.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel