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neuroscience

American  
[noor-oh-sahy-uhns, nyoor-] / ˌnʊər oʊˈsaɪ əns, ˌnjʊər- /

noun

neurosciences plural
  1. the field of study encompassing the various scientific disciplines dealing with the structure, development, function, chemistry, pharmacology, and pathology of the nervous system.


neuroscience British  
/ ˈnjʊərəʊˌsaɪəns /

noun

  1. the study of the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology of the nervous system

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of neuroscience

First recorded in 1960–65; neuro- + science

Explanation

Neuroscience is the study of the brain and the nervous system. If you're interested in the way human brains work, you might want to study neuroscience. The scientific field of neuroscience started out as a branch of biology, although people have been fascinated with the brain at least since ancient Egyptians studied the effects of drilling small holes in the skull to treat mental disorders. Today neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field, involving chemistry, linguistics, and genetics, among many other disciplines. Neuroscience has roots in the Greek neuro, "nerve," and Latin scientia, "knowledge."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience showed participants’ brains could automate tasks by offloading them from the prefrontal cortex to the temporal cortex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Neuroscience and architecture expert Meredith Banasiak, who researches the link between buildings and human wellbeing, says hallways and doorways often spark this fear.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Another 2025 analysis in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews looked across 38 functional neuroimaging studies of psychopathy.

From Science Daily • May 10, 2026

The paper, which was published April 27 in Nature Neuroscience, answers a puzzling question about the mechanism controlling this long-observed cerebral movement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

The research team is now collaborating with Michael Platt, PhD, the James S. Riepe University Professor, Professor of Neuroscience, Professor of Psychology, to advance the work toward potential clinical trials.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

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