pre·fron·tal
(ˌ)prē-ˈfrən-tᵊl 
: anterior to or involving the anterior part of a frontal structure
a prefrontal bone
: a prefrontal part (such as a bone)
Examples of prefrontal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Celia Ford, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Unlike the prefrontal circuitry, which continues to show developmental changes into young adulthood, the amygdala undergoes peak maturation during midadolescence.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2018
Dehaene and Changeux postulated that the workspace is instantiated by a network of pyramidal (excitatory) neurons linked to far-flung cortical regions, in particular the prefrontal, parietotemporal and midline (cingulate) associative areas.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for prefrontal 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Psychiatrists who invented malaria treatment — using the malaria virus to induce a high fever, hopefully killing neurosyphilis-causing bacteria — and the prefrontal lobotomy both won the Nobel Prize in Medicine while asylums were still the norm in Europe.
—Celia Ford, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Unlike the prefrontal circuitry, which continues to show developmental changes into young adulthood, the amygdala undergoes peak maturation during midadolescence.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Noun
When corrected to brain size, the domesticated rabbits' amygdala's were roughly 9-10% smaller, while their medial prefrontal cortices were about 11-12% bigger.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2018
Dehaene and Changeux postulated that the workspace is instantiated by a network of pyramidal (excitatory) neurons linked to far-flung cortical regions, in particular the prefrontal, parietotemporal and midline (cingulate) associative areas.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for prefrontal
Dictionary Entries Near prefrontal
Cite this Entry
“Prefrontal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefrontal. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
prefrontal
adjective
pre·fron·tal
ˌprē-ˈfrənt-ᵊl
1
: situated or occurring anterior to a frontal structure
a prefrontal bone
2
: of, relating to, or constituting the prefrontal lobe or prefrontal cortex of the brain
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share