prefrontal

American  

[pree-fruhn-tl] / priˈfrʌn tl /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. anterior to, situated in, or pertaining to the anterior part of a frontal structure.

---

prefrontal British  

/ priːˈfrʌntəl /

adjective

1. situated in, involving, or relating to the foremost part of the frontal lobe of the brain

---

Etymology

Origin of prefrontal

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + frontal

---

Explanation

Use the adjective prefrontal when you're talking about the very front part of the brain. Take care of your prefrontal cortex; it controls your personality. In an anatomy class, you'd gain a lot of information about the prefrontal cortex, since it's a vital section of the brain. The word prefrontal comes up in discussions of non-human animals as well, usually describing their brains, but sometimes in discussions of the skull, specifically the bones in front of a bird's or reptile's eye socket. Prefrontal combines pre-, "before," with frontal, "being in front," emphasizing the far forward location.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prefrontal

The science of willpower is that there is part of the brain toward the front, toward the lateral prefrontal cortex, that is in charge of ordering around the rest of your brain.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

The researchers also detected stronger activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

For many years, scientists believed that attention was controlled primarily by the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is especially developed in humans and other primates.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

The prefrontal cortex, the brain’s “command center,” doesn’t finish developing until the mid- to late 20s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

What if I really am just someone with a large prefrontal cortex... and nothing more?

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---