neocortex

American  

[nee-oh-kawr-teks] / ˌni oʊˈkɔr tɛks /

noun

plural

neocortices

1. the largest and evolutionarily most recent portion of the cerebral cortex, composed of complex, layered tissue, the site of most of the higher brain functions.

---

Other Word Forms

• neocortical adjective

Etymology

Origin of neocortex

First recorded in 1905–10; neo- + cortex

Compare meaning

How does neocortex compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• neocortex vs. cerebral cortex

Example Sentences

“Horses think through energy and pictures,” said Ebsen, meaning they communicate through pure expression, one unfiltered by the neocortex.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

Neurons in the neocortex: Slow-wave sleep strengthens the connections between them, supporting memory formation.

From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024

Prior to this research, scientists already understood that each night, memories transfer from short-term storage in the hippocampus to long-term storage in the neocortex during slow-wave sleep.

From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024

The authors observed that like an ocean wave forming and then crashing on to a shoreline, the signals from the neocortex oscillate between on and off states in intervals while a person or animal sleeps.

From Science Daily • May 8, 2024

More important, a specific part of the brain of humans and other primates — the region known as the neocortex, which deals with complex thought and reasoning — is huge by mammal standards.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell