retinal

¹ American  

[ret-n-uhl] / ˈrɛt n əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the retina of the eye.

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retinal ² American  

[ret-n-al, -awl] / ˈrɛt nˌæl, -ˌɔl /

Also retinene

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an orange pigment, C 2 0 H 2 8 O, that is the active component of rhodopsin and is liberated upon the absorption of light in the vision cycle; vitamin A aldehyde.

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Etymology

Origin of retinal¹

First recorded in 1830–40; retin(a) + -al ¹

Origin of retinal²

First recorded in 1940–45; retin(a) + -al ³

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retinal

The research, which relied on lab grown retinal tissue, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

A few meters away, 60-year-old Jose Manuel Garcia, who is blind in one eye and undergoing treatment for retinal detachment to save the other, was seeking passage home to the city of Santiago de Cuba.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Unlike the Aalto treatment, Valeda uses photobiomodulation rather than controlled retinal heating.

From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026

"This research highlights not only the potential of gene therapy to change what's possible for children with inherited retinal disease, but also the importance of developing age-appropriate outcome measures."

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026

The security lock mounted outside required another retinal scan.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline