Word
cerebral
Phoneticscere·bral
US/ˈsɛɹəbɹəɫ/
UK/səɹˈiːbɹəl/
Definitions
01intellectual
C1 · Advanced Academic
adj. describing something that involves deep thinking and logic rather than emotions or physical feelings.
adj. appealing to or involving the intellect rather than the emotions or physical instincts.
“The movie was very cerebral and required the audience to think hard about the plot.”
“His approach to the problem was purely cerebral, ignoring the emotional impact his decision would have on the rest of the staff.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02relating to the brain
C1 · Advanced Medicine Technical
adj. relating to the brain, especially the large part called the cerebrum.
adj. relating to the brain or the cerebrum; often used in medical or biological contexts.
“The patient was monitored for cerebral activity after the surgery.”
“The study examines how cerebral blood flow changes when a person performs complex mathematical tasks.”
Synonyms
03linguistics
C2 · Proficiency Science Archaic · Technical
adj. a technical term for sounds made by curling the tip of the tongue back.
adj. an older term for retroflex consonants, produced with the tip of the tongue curled back against the palate.
“In some languages, cerebral sounds are common in everyday speech.”
“Early nineteenth-century grammarians often used the term cerebral to classify the retroflex consonants found in Sanskrit.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Ricote’s style is slightly more cerebral; her comedy is often powered by a goofy yet genuine sense of awe at the human condition.” “A career-long tug-of-war between Simon’s cerebral and conversational language courses through Graceland.” Etymology
Borrowing from French cérébral, from Latin cerebrum (“a brain”); equivalent to cerebrum + -al.
Semantic loan from Sanskrit मूर्धन्य (mūrdhanya, “pertaining to the head”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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