retinal

¹ American  

[ret-n-uhl] / ˈrɛt n əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the retina of the eye.

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retinal ² American  

[ret-n-al, -awl] / ˈrɛt nˌæl, -ˌɔl /

Also retinene

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an orange pigment, C 2 0 H 2 8 O, that is the active component of rhodopsin and is liberated upon the absorption of light in the vision cycle; vitamin A aldehyde.

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Etymology

Origin of retinal¹

First recorded in 1830–40; retin(a) + -al ¹

Origin of retinal²

First recorded in 1940–45; retin(a) + -al ³

Example Sentences

The findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, point to a protein called LRG1 as a key factor that triggers the earliest stage of retinal damage after diabetes develops.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

Andy was born with retinal dystrophy, an inherited condition causing progressive vision loss, which eventually leads to tunnel vision and potentially blindness.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

In November, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for use in patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, a condition where leaky blood vessels in the eye cause swelling.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

But myopia also increases the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and other eye diseases later in life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

In the central area of the ship there was a locked storage facility that required passwords and retinal scans to open.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner