English Reference

Word

neuroscience

Phoneticsneu·ro·science

US/ˈnjʊɹoʊˌsaɪəns/

UK/njˈuːɹəsˌaɪəns/

Definition

n. the scientific study of the brain and the nervous system. It looks at how the brain works and how it controls things like memory, feelings, and movement.

n. the branch of biology and medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology, and molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue. It encompasses the study of the brain's role in behaviour and cognitive functions.

Examples

“She decided to study neuroscience to understand how memory works.”

“Advances in neuroscience have allowed doctors to better understand how certain injuries affect a person's ability to speak.”

“By integrating neuroscience with psychology, researchers are beginning to map the specific neural pathways responsible for complex emotional responses and decision-making processes in the human brain.”

Examples

simple

“She decided to study neuroscience to understand how memory works.”

contextual

“Advances in neuroscience have allowed doctors to better understand how certain injuries affect a person's ability to speak.”

complex

“By integrating neuroscience with psychology, researchers are beginning to map the specific neural pathways responsible for complex emotional responses and decision-making processes in the human brain.”

Real-World Examples

Common in science writing

“I recently examined whether Canadian recommendations about children staying home alone are aligned with what neuroscience tells us about child development .”
Phys.org · 17 Aug 2026
“Image caption, Professor Ciara McCabe is a neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and mental health expert at the University of Reading.”
BBC News · 5 Aug 2026

Etymology

From neuro- + science.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

English Reference