adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsɛ.ɹɪb.ɹəl/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsɛ.ɹɪb.ɹl̩/
Received-Pronunciation:/səˈɹiː.bɹəl/
Received-Pronunciation:/səˈɹiː.bɹl̩/
General-American:/səˈɹi.bɹəl/
General-American:/ˈsɛɹ.əb.ɹəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛɹɪbɹəl
rhymes with -iːbɹəl
CMU ARPABET:S EH1 R AH0 B R AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:S ER0 IY1 B R AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to the brain, cerebrum, or cerebral cortex.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: relational
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: brainial, brainy
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Intellectual rather than emotional or physical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Retroflex.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a cerebral approach to the problem
cerebral drama
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: intellectual
Antonyms: emotional
5
adjective
Meaning 5
of or relating to the cerebrum or brain
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
cerebral hemisphere
cerebral activity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowing from French cérébral, from Latin cerebrum (“a brain”); equivalent to cerebrum + -al.
Semantic loan from Sanskrit मूर्धन्य (mūrdhanya, “pertaining to the head”).
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُخِّيّ
(muḵḵiyy)
— of or relating to the brain
Armenian:
ուղեղային
(uġeġayin)
— of or relating to the brain
Asturian:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Belarusian:
мазгавы́
(mazhavý)
— of or relating to the brain
Belarusian:
цэрэбра́льны
(cerebrálʹny)
— of or relating to the brain
Bulgarian:
церебра́лен
(cerebrálen)
— of or relating to the brain
Catalan:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Chinese Mandarin:
大腦的 /大脑的
(dànǎo de)
— of or relating to the brain
Czech:
cerebrální
— of or relating to the brain
Czech:
mozkový
— of or relating to the brain
Danish:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Dutch:
cerebraal
— of or relating to the brain
Esperanto:
cerba
— of or relating to the brain
Finnish:
aivoperäinen
— of or relating to the brain
Finnish:
serebraalinen
— of or relating to the brain
Finnish:
aivo-
— of or relating to the brain
French:
cérébral
— of or relating to the brain
Galician:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Georgian:
ცერებრალური
(cerebraluri)
— of or relating to the brain
German:
zerebral
— of or relating to the brain
German:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
German:
zerebral-
— of or relating to the brain
German:
Gehirn-
— of or relating to the brain
German:
Hirn-
— of or relating to the brain
German:
Cerebro-
— of or relating to the brain
Greek:
εγκεφαλικός
(egkefalikós)
— of or relating to the brain
Ido:
cerebrala
— of or relating to the brain
Irish:
ceirbreach
— of or relating to the brain
Italian:
cerebrale
— of or relating to the brain
Latin:
cerebrālis
— of or relating to the brain
Norwegian:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Polish:
mózgowy
— of or relating to the brain
Portuguese:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Romanian:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Russian:
мозгово́й
(mozgovój)
— of or relating to the brain
Russian:
церебра́льный
(cerebrálʹnyj)
— of or relating to the brain
Slovak:
cerebrálny
— of or relating to the brain
Slovak:
mozgový
— of or relating to the brain
Slovene:
možganski
— of or relating to the brain
Spanish:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Swedish:
cerebral
— of or relating to the brain
Turkish:
beyinsel
— of or relating to the brain
Ukrainian:
мозкови́й
(mozkovýj)
— of or relating to the brain
Ukrainian:
церебра́льний
(cerebrálʹnyj)
— of or relating to the brain