cerebral
adjective
ce·re·bral
sə-ˈrē-brəl 
ˈser-ə-
ˈser-ə-
ˈse-rə-
1
a
: of or relating to the brain or the intellect
b
: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
cerebral edema
cerebral arteries
2
a
: appealing to intellectual appreciation
cerebral drama
b
: primarily intellectual in nature
a cerebral society
books for cerebral readers
Examples of cerebral in a Sentence
He's a very cerebral comedian.
a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work
Recent Examples on the Web
Connelly put skilled and cerebral players around Jokić and Jamal Murray, with the occasional defensive stopper.
—
Sam Amick, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
In the cerebral sign of Gemini — curiosity, communication and adaptability — Jupiter opens a world of possibilities.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Both aortic stenosis and cerebral vascular disease were contributing factors in his death.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
There have been some excellent ones recently — just check out last year’s Rebel Ridge, a cerebral action thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Aaron Pierre as a thoughtful but formidable Marine fighting a crooked sheriff.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cerebral
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.
Sam Amick, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
In the cerebral sign of Gemini — curiosity, communication and adaptability — Jupiter opens a world of possibilities.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Both aortic stenosis and cerebral vascular disease were contributing factors in his death.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
There have been some excellent ones recently — just check out last year’s Rebel Ridge, a cerebral action thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Aaron Pierre as a thoughtful but formidable Marine fighting a crooked sheriff.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cerebral
Cite this Entry
“Cerebral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebral. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cerebral
adjective
ce·re·bral
sə-ˈrē-brəl
ˈser-ə-
ˈser-ə-
1
: of or relating to the brain
2
: of, relating to, or being the cerebrum
3
: intellectual entry 1 sense 1
a cerebral novel
Medical Definition
cerebral
adjective
ce·re·bral
sə-ˈrē-brəl
ˈser-ə-
ˈser-ə-
1
: of or relating to the brain or the intellect
2
: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
cerebral blood flow
cerebral toxoplasmosis
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share