Standard Lemma guide

visceral

adj · 7 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪsəɹəl/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [ˈvɪsəɹɫ̩]
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɪsɹəl/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [ˈvɪsɹɫ̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈvəsəɹəl/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈvəsəɹɫ̩]
  • New-Zealand: /ˈvəsɹəl/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈvəsɹɫ̩]
  • CMU ARPABET: V IH1 S ER0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

Examples

  • visceral remains

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: splanchnic

Antonyms: parietal

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).

Of a disease: involving the viscera.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: splanchnic

Antonyms: parietal

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).

Of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person's emotions; hence (figuratively), relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: splanchnic

Antonyms: parietal

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect, as in the distinction between feeling and thinking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cerebral

5

adj

Meaning 5

(Apparently) situated in the viscera or the interior of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

relating to or affecting the viscera

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • visceral bleeding
  • a splanchnic nerve

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: splanchnic

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intuitive, nonrational

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French viscéral (modern French viscéral), or from its etymon Medieval Latin viscerālis (“internal”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Viscerālis is derived from Latin viscera (a plural form of vīscus (“internal organ of the body”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to rotate, turn”)) + -ālis (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). cognates * Old French visceral (Middle French viscéral, modern French viscéral) * Italian viscerale * Spanish visceral

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: vnitřní — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Czech: útrobní — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Dutch: visceraal — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Finnish: sisälmys- — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Finnish: sisäelin- — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Finnish: viskeraalinen — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • French: viscéral — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Galician: visceral — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • German: viszeral — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Hungarian: zsigeri — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Ido: vicerala — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Macedonian: у́тробен (útroben) — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Polish: trzewiowy — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Polish: trzewny — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Russian: висцеральный (visceralʹnyj) — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Russian: внутренностный (vnutrennostnyj) — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Spanish: visceral — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Turkish: viseral — of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera
  • Czech: vnitřní — of a disease: involving the viscera
  • Czech: útrobní — of a disease: involving the viscera
  • Finnish: sisäelin- — of a disease: involving the viscera
  • Czech: niterný — of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility
  • Czech: vnitřní — of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility
  • Finnish: syvällinen — of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility
  • Dutch: instinctief — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Dutch: diepgeworteld — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Finnish: vaistomainen — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Finnish: vaistonvarainen — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • French: viscéral — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Galician: visceral — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • German: instinktiv — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • German: intuitiv — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • German: tief sitzend — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • German: aus dem Bauch heraus — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • German: zu den Eingeweiden gehörig — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Macedonian: на́гонски (nágonski) — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect
  • Spanish: visceral — having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect