cranial

adjective

cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
cranially adverb

Examples of cranial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The news of the new single with Payne comes several weeks after authorities confirmed that the former One Direction member died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of a fall at a Buenos Aires hotel earlier this month. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024 Jayne and their team also realized additional implications after studying and extrapolating the scalability ratio between their mouth gapes and cranial structures. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 Oct. 2024 In December, Herbert was hospitalized for a cranial hematoma during her and Hough's ongoing tour and underwent an emergency craniectomy. Julia Moore, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 The troupe alum experienced a severe health scare last December when she was hospitalized for a cranial hematoma. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cranial 

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cranial was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near cranial

Cite this Entry

“Cranial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranial. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
: of, relating to, or directed toward the skull or cranium

Medical Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
: cephalic
the cranial end of the spinal column
cranially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on cranial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!