cortical

American  

[kawr-ti-kuhl] / ˈkɔr tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. Anatomy. of, pertaining to, resembling, or consisting of cortex.

2. Physiology. resulting from the function or condition of the cerebral cortex.

3. Botany. of or relating to the cortex.

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Other Word Forms

• cortically
  adverb
• intercortical
  adjective
• noncortical
  adjective
• noncortically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cortical

1665–75; < New Latin corticālis, equivalent to Latin cortic- (stem of cortex ) cortex + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

To assess how this interaction affected development, the team compared gene expression in the cortical region of the assembloid with that of a standalone cortical organoid.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

They found that neural activity spread from the thalamus into the cortex in wave like patterns, creating synchronized activity across cortical networks.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

The cortical tissue connected to the thalamus showed signs of greater maturity, indicating that thalamus cortex communication promotes cortical growth and development.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

"Disorders such as attention deficit, sensory hypersensitivity, or some forms of traumatic brain injury may partly originate from imbalances between cortical communication and these fundamental circuits."

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2025

I would like to help in that area of research, and in the search for radioisotopes that may be used in local cortical control, but I know now that I won’t have the time.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes