temporal lobe

American  

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

1. the lateral lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, in front of the occipital lobe.

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temporal lobe British  

noun

1. the laterally protruding portion of each cerebral hemisphere, situated below the parietal lobe and associated with sound perception and interpretation: it is thought to be the centre for memory recall

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temporal lobe Scientific  

1. The lobe of each cerebral hemisphere lying to the side and rear of the frontal lobe. The temporal lobe controls hearing and some aspects of language perception, emotion, and memory.

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Etymology

Origin of temporal lobe

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Al-Hashimi became a polyglot — speaking English, Farsi and Armenian — in part to curb the effects of a seizure disorder on her temporal lobe, which is crucial for language comprehension.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Dr. Flaherty provocatively suggests that Van Gogh suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy and that his condition may have played an important role in his achievements.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

And in the Simpsons neuron case, for example, it was just a subset of neurons in the medial temporal lobe that behaved with extreme specificity to enable patients to quickly grasp the relevant concept.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

But it also reached deeper, into the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex, brain regions crucial for memory.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2024

Soon after, Carl Wernicke found another area on the left temporal lobe that controlled the ability to understand speech.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman