Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

frontal lobe

American  

noun

Anatomy.
  1. the anterior part of each cerebral hemisphere, in front of the central sulcus.


frontal lobe British  

noun

  1. anatomy the anterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, situated in front of the central sulcus

"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

frontal lobe Scientific  
/ frŭntl /
  1. The largest and forwardmost lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, responsible for the control of skilled motor activity, including speech. Mood and the ability to think are also controlled by the frontal lobe.


Etymology

Origin of frontal lobe

First recorded in 1875–80

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.

See Examples For:

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram and you will likely see the familiar line: “Your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed yet.”

From Science Daily Feb. 19, 2026

“I think there’s something to be said for frontal lobe development,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 25, 2026

In typical cases, the exposure damages the brain’s frontal lobe, which slows cognition, impairs impulse control, restricts dopamine production and affects mood.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 22, 2025

I feel like—and I think it comes with turning 25—but my frontal lobe has developed and it’s like, “All right, time to be an adult now.”

From Slate Dec. 11, 2025

The frontal lobe, the executive functions, get so overloaded, so taxed, that there are fewer resources left to make a good decision.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training