prefrontal

American  

[pree-fruhn-tl] / priˈfrʌn tl /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. anterior to, situated in, or pertaining to the anterior part of a frontal structure.

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prefrontal British  

/ priːˈfrʌntəl /

adjective

1. situated in, involving, or relating to the foremost part of the frontal lobe of the brain

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Etymology

Origin of prefrontal

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + frontal

Explanation

Use the adjective prefrontal when you're talking about the very front part of the brain. Take care of your prefrontal cortex; it controls your personality. In an anatomy class, you'd gain a lot of information about the prefrontal cortex, since it's a vital section of the brain. The word prefrontal comes up in discussions of non-human animals as well, usually describing their brains, but sometimes in discussions of the skull, specifically the bones in front of a bird's or reptile's eye socket. Prefrontal combines pre-, "before," with frontal, "being in front," emphasizing the far forward location.

Example Sentences

Study participants’ brains could automate tasks—answers a Slack message from Leigh—by offloading them from the prefrontal cortex to other regions of their brains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

A study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience showed participants’ brains could automate tasks by offloading them from the prefrontal cortex to the temporal cortex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Even before I first saw the film during last year’s Sundance Film Festival, this one-line elevator pitch was taking up all the space in my prefrontal cortex.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Current treatments for attention disorders typically increase excitatory signaling in prefrontal brain circuits using stimulant medications.

From Science Daily • Jan. 2, 2026

Finally she says, “Someone instruct Ms. Prior as to what the prefrontal cortex does.”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth