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

See Examples For:

prefrontal

"Experience remodels the brain to bypass that frontal bottleneck. The prefrontal cortex then stays free for whatever else you want to do, increasing your capacity," Riesenhuber explained.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

According to Riesenhuber, transferring a well-learned skill into the temporal cortex frees the prefrontal cortex to focus on new challenges, allowing existing knowledge to serve as the foundation for future learning.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

At the same time, your brain’s amygdala, or fear and emotion center, calms down and its prefrontal cortex, which governs rational thought, amps up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

Two key regions are often involved: the amygdala, which helps shape the sense of safety or threat, and the prefrontal cortex, which supports planning, decision making, and emotional control.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

In those situations, teens are more likely to make decisions with the limbic system rather than the prefrontal cortex.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater