visceral

[vis-er-uh l]

adjective

of or relating to the viscera.

affecting the viscera.

of the nature of or resembling viscera.

characterized by or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect: a visceral reaction.

characterized by or dealing with coarse or base emotions; earthy; crude: a visceral literary style.

Origin of visceral

1565–75; < Medieval Latin viscerālis, equivalent to viscer- (see viscera) + -ālis -al¹

Related formsvis·cer·al·ly, adverbnon·vis·cer·al, adjectiveun·vis·cer·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for viscerally

Contemporary Examples of viscerally

And when he shaved clean the perfectly coiffed hair, she was viscerally horrified.
From Fashion Player to Photographer Monk
Nina Strochlic
December 3, 2014
Art is often said to “speak” to its viewer, but it is rare for this to happen so viscerally and clearly.
In Hands of Hungarian Artist, Jewish Home Movies of the ’30s a Warning of Coming Holocaust
Daniel Genis
October 25, 2014
With Obama going back into Iraq and with ISIS, viscerally I feel like we should do this, but can we think this through?
Rory Kennedy on ‘Last Days in Vietnam,’ the Parallels Between Vietnam and Iraq, and Ferguson
Marlow Stern
September 1, 2014
Is there a moment like that which viscerally inspired you to write Third Person?
Paul Haggis on Scientology, the ‘Crash’ Oscar, and ‘Third Person’
Kevin Fallon
June 19, 2014
I could just sort of viscerally feel that there was something real going on there.
Chang-rae Lee: How I Write
Noah Charney
January 22, 2014

British Dictionary definitions for viscerally

visceral

adjective

of, relating to, or affecting the viscera

characterized by intuition or instinct rather than intellect

Derived Formsviscerally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for viscerally

visceral

adj.

1570s, "affecting inward feelings," from Middle French viscéral, from Medieval Latin visceralis "internal," from Latin viscera, plural of viscus "internal organ," of unknown origin. The bowels were regarded as the seat of emotion. The figurative sense vanished after 1640 and the literal sense is first recorded in 1794. The figurative sense was revived 1940s in arts criticism.

viscerally in Medicine

visceral

[vĭs′ər-əl]

adj.

Relating to, situated in, or affecting the viscera.