frontal

American  

[fruhn-tl] / ˈfrʌn tl /

adjective

1. of, in, or at the front.

   a frontal view; frontal attack.

2. Anatomy.

   1. of, relating to, or situated near the forehead or the frontal bone.

   2. coronal.

3. Meteorology. of or relating to the division between dissimilar air masses.

   frontal zone; frontal surface.

4. Fine Arts.

   1. exhibiting frontality.

   2. parallel to the surface in the pictorial arts or seen from the front view in sculpture.

      the frontal plane.

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noun

1. Ecclesiastical. a movable cover or hanging for the front of an altar.

2. frontlet.

3. Anatomy. any of several parts in the frontal region, especially the frontal bone.

frontal British  

/ ˈfrʌntəl /

adjective

1. of, at, or in the front

2. of or relating to the forehead

   frontal artery

3. of or relating to the anterior part of a body or organ

4. meteorol of, relating to, or resulting from a front or its passage

   frontal rainfall

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noun

1. a decorative hanging for the front of an altar

2. See frontal lobe frontal bone

3. another name for frontlet

Other Word Forms

• frontally adverb
• interfrontal adjective
• subfrontal adjective
• subfrontally adverb
• transfrontal adjective
• transfrontally adverb

Etymology

Origin of frontal

1275–1325; < Late Latin frontālis ( New Latin, in anatomy sense); replacing Middle English frountel < Old French frontel. See front, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Barbara Sahakian, a neuropsychologist at the University of Cambridge who specialises in ADHD, said the condition affects the brain's frontal lobe, which play a key role in organisation and focus.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

"It then pulled away to the east, with a frontal system moving away southwards, opening the floodgates to a cold Arctic plunge of air."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The results showed that areas within the frontal lobe mature gradually from the back toward the front.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

However, the widely repeated claim that brain development, especially in the frontal lobe, stops at 25 is not accurate.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

I recognized him, recognized his flattop of blonded hair with the ornamental frontal curl, the snarly lips, the athletic lumber.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam