Cerebral — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /sə-ˈrē-brəl/ ce·re·bral

Meaning & Definition of Cerebral

Cerebral (adjective)

  1. of or relating to the brain or the intellect
  2. of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
  3. appealing to intellectual appreciation

Cerebral (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. much given to learning and thinking

    "a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work"

    similar: blue, eggheaded, geeky, highbrow, highbrowed, intellectual, intellectualist, intellectualistic, long-haired, nerdish, nerdy
    related: cultivated, cultured, erudite, learned, literate, polyhistoric, polymath, scholarly, well-read, academic, bookish, professorial, didactic, high-toned, hyperintellectual, pedantic, high-hat, snobbish, snobby, snooty, educated, schooled, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, quick-witted, smart
    opposite: anti-intellectual, lowbrow, nonintellectual, philistine
    near: uncultivated, uncultured, ignorant, illiterate, uneducated, unlettered, unread, dumb, foolish, idiotic, moronic, slow, stupid, unintelligent, benighted, unenlightened

  2. of or relating to the mind

    "a young man given more to cerebral pursuits than to sporting activities"

    similar: inner, intellectual, interior, internal, mental, psychological
    related: cognitive, conscious, epistemic, knowing, noetic, psychic, telepathic, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, quick-witted, rational, reasoning, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, thinking
    opposite: nonmental
    near: bodily, carnal, corporal, corporeal, fleshly, physical, somatic, unconscious, brainless, dense, doltish, dopey, fatuous, half-witted, mindless, obtuse, simple, slow-witted, stupid, thick, thickheaded, unintelligent, weak-minded, witless

Related Entry: Cerebral palsy (noun)

Cerebral palsy is a different word from Cerebral. The synonyms below are for cerebral palsy, not for cerebral.

  1. as in multiple sclerosis, poliomyelitis

    similar: multiple sclerosis, poliomyelitis, palsy, paralysis, debilitation, debility, decrepitude, enfeeblement, feebleness, frailness, frailty, weakness, infirmity, lameness, disability, impairment, diplegia, hemiplegia, paraplegia, paresis, quadriplegia, spastic paralysis
    opposite: mobility, motility, sensation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Cerebral

The most common words with a similar meaning to Cerebral:

blue, eggheaded, geeky, highbrow, highbrowed, intellectual, intellectualist, intellectualistic, long-haired, nerdish, nerdy, inner, interior, internal, mental, psychological

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Cerebral

Words with the opposite meaning of Cerebral:

anti-intellectual, lowbrow, nonintellectual, philistine, nonmental

Related Words for Cerebral

cultivated, cultured, erudite, learned, literate, polyhistoric, polymath, scholarly, well-read, academic, bookish, professorial, didactic, high-toned, hyperintellectual, pedantic, high-hat, snobbish, snobby, snooty, educated, schooled, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, quick-witted, smart, cognitive

Near Antonyms of Cerebral

uncultivated, uncultured, ignorant, illiterate, uneducated, unlettered, unread, dumb, foolish, idiotic, moronic, slow, stupid, unintelligent, benighted, unenlightened, bodily, carnal, corporal, corporeal, fleshly, physical, somatic, unconscious, brainless, dense, doltish, dopey, fatuous, half-witted

Word Forms of Cerebral

Derived words: cerebrally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Cerebral

French cérébral, from Latin cerebrum brain; akin to Old High German hirni brain, Greek kara head, keras horn, Sanskrit śiras head horn

First known use: 1801

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Cerebral

Words & Phrases Containing Cerebral

cerebral artery, cerebral cortex, cerebral hemisphere, cerebral palsy

Frequently Asked Questions about Cerebral

What does "Cerebral" mean?

"Cerebral" means of or relating to the brain or the intellect. As an adjective, it is defined as: of or relating to the brain or the intellect. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Cerebral"?

Other words for "Cerebral" include blue, eggheaded, geeky, highbrow, highbrowed, intellectual, intellectualist and intellectualistic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Cerebral" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Cerebral"?

There are 58 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Cerebral". Common alternatives include blue, eggheaded, geeky, highbrow, highbrowed, intellectual, intellectualist, intellectualistic, long-haired and nerdish.

What is the opposite of "Cerebral"?

Antonyms of "Cerebral" include anti-intellectual, lowbrow, nonintellectual, philistine and nonmental. Near antonyms include uncultivated, uncultured, ignorant and illiterate.

How do you use "Cerebral" in a sentence?

Examples of "Cerebral" in a sentence: "a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work"; "a young man given more to cerebral pursuits than to sporting activities".

Is "Cerebral" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Cerebral" is an adjective.

Is "Cerebral" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Cerebral" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Cerebral"?

"Cerebral" is pronounced /sə-ˈrē-brəl/ and divided into syllables as ce·re·bral.