ventral
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the venter or belly; abdominal.
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Anatomy, Zoology. situated on or toward the lower, abdominal plane of the body; equivalent to the front, or anterior, in humans.
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Botany, Mycology. of or designating the lower or inner surface of a structure.
adjective
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relating to the front part of the body; towards the belly Compare dorsal
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of, relating to, or situated on the upper or inner side of a plant organ, esp a leaf, that is facing the axis
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ventral
1730–40; < Latin ventrālis, equivalent to vent ( e ) r venter + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
The adjective ventral refers to the area on the body in the lower front, around the stomach area. The ventral fin on a fish is the one on its belly. The ventral area of anything, plant or animal, is its underside. In directional terms, the ventral side is the area forward from (or under) the spinal cord. The word comes from the Latin noun venter, which meant "belly," which lent its meaning to ventrālis, which referred to anything pertaining to the belly area. When a shark is swimming toward you, you see the dorsal fin on its back but not the ventral fin on its belly, which remains unseen beneath the waves.
Vocabulary lists containing ventral
Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Animals (Zoology) - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To understand how these experiences can physically alter the developing brain, the researchers focused on the ventral tegmental area.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The bone has short projections extending outward that resemble horns, and it lacks a ventral median groove.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
It is called the ventral hippocampus, which is responsible for learning, emotions, fear and memory.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2025
The ventral striatum, a small brain region, and associated brain pathways driven by dopamine, play an important role in predicting what will be rewarding or important.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024
Forms of this kind exhibit four aspects which may be distinguished as right and left, dorsal and ventral.
From The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, October 1879 by Various
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