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

Example Sentences

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

Mice that performed best on attention tasks had much lower levels of Homer1 in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region essential for focus.

From Science Daily • Jan. 2, 2026

Güntürkün explains, "The avian equivalent to the prefrontal cortex, the NCL, is immensely connected and allows the brain to integrate and flexibly process information."

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025

This reduction was most clearly seen in the prefrontal cortex, a region involved in thinking, emotional regulation and decision-making.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2025

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers, working largely with monkeys, identified a powerful, multifunctional type of neuron in the prefrontal cortex.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel