- Today's Word
Cerebral
suh-REE-bruhl
Definition
(adjective) Intellectual or related to deep thinking and reasoning.
Example
Her writing was cerebral—layered, analytical, and not easily skimmed.
Fun Fact
Originally referring to the brain itself (cerebrum), cerebral evolved to describe intellectual depth, not just medical anatomy. Critics often label certain novels or films cerebral when they reward deep focus and thoughtful interpretation rather than emotional payoff. It’s a favorite descriptor for highbrow art, complex theories, or analytical thinkers.
(noun) A natural craving or strong desire; an instinctive inclination toward something
She couldn’t explain her appetence for solo travel — it was simply part of who she was.
Appetence comes from the Latin appetentia, derived from appetere — meaning “to strive after” or “to desire” — itself a combination of ad (“toward”) and petere (“to seek” or “to aim at”). The word entered English in the 17th century, used by philosophers and naturalists to describe instinctive drives in both humans and animals.