neural
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- interneural adjective
- neurally adverb
- nonneural adjective
- postneural adjective
- preneural adjective
- subneural adjective
- unneural adjective
Etymology
Origin of neural
Explanation
Something described as neural has to do with your body's nervous system, particularly your nerves. When you stub your toe, a neural signal is sent to your brain to tell you how much it hurts. The word neural has a Greek root, neuron, or "nerve." This scientific term is sometimes used interchangeably with neurological for anything connected with the entire nervous system. Neural pathways describe the route messages take through your nerves and spinal cord to your brain, and a neural disorder is an ailment that affects that part of your body.
Vocabulary lists containing neural
Body Parts: Neur ("Nerve")
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Magic and the Brain," Vocabulary from the magazine article
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Magic and the Brain" by Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen L. Macknik
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The trading firm uses tens of thousands of graphics processing units to develop neural networks informing its trading strategies.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
It can even help our brain to develop new neural pathways around brain injuries.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
"We're seeing the same mystical experiences and neural connectivity patterns that typically require psilocybin, now achieved through meditation practice alone," added Patel.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
Using this technique, they were able to chart thousands of neural connections in the mouse brain with remarkable speed and detail.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
Jesse practically melded into the computer casing when he played, his entire neural system wired into his character.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.