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

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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

The researchers found a different response in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region essential for thinking, memory, and social behavior.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

The science of willpower is that there is part of the brain toward the front, toward the lateral prefrontal cortex, that is in charge of ordering around the rest of your brain.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

One area that stood out was the prefrontal cortex, which showed higher PAD across multiple brain disorders.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 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

“It should suppress some, but not all, of the activity in the prefrontal cortex,” the scientist with the round glasses says.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

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