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neural

adj.
US //ˈnjʊɹəɫ// UK //njˈuːɹəl// neu·ral
  1. 1 biological nerves (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    relating to the nerves or the nervous system in your body.

    relating to a nerve or the nervous system in a biological context.

    Example

    The doctor checked for neural damage after the patient complained of numbness in his arm.

    Example

    The researchers studied the neural pathways responsible for processing visual stimuli in the primary visual cortex.

    Usage

    Usually placed before a noun; non-gradable.

  2. 2 computing/AI (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    relating to computer programs that are designed to work like a human brain.

    relating to or denoting artificial intelligence systems modelled on the human brain and nervous system.

    Example

    A neural network can learn to recognize faces by looking at thousands of photos.

    Example

    The latest translation software utilizes a deep neural network to produce more idiomatic and contextually accurate results.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the compound 'neural network'.

Origin

From Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “a sinew, nerve”) + -al.

Word family

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