phrenology

noun

phre·​nol·​o·​gy fri-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce phrenology (audio)
: the study of the conformation and especially the contours of the skull based on the former belief that they are indicative of mental faculties and character
phrenological adjective
phrenologist noun

Examples of phrenology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Get in here, Jon M. Chu is doing Munchkin phrenology. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024 Learn about spiritualism, mesmerism and phrenology. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2024 Often rooted in flawed research, this has taken form in phrenology, justifications for slavery, and eugenics, all of which with devastating consequences. Thiago Arzua, STAT, 15 Mar. 2024 Further still, the history of pseudosciences such as phrenology and race science have also led to lasting consequences on the perception of Black people as lesser beings. De-Shaine Murray, STAT, 29 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for phrenology 

Word History

Etymology

Greek phren-, phrḗn "midriff, seat of the passions, mind, wits" + -o- + -logy — more at frenetic

Note: In reference to the study of the skull as a guide to the mind, the word was introduced by the English physician and astronomer Thomas Ignatius Maria Forster (1789-1860) in the essay "Sketch of the new Anatomy and Physiology of the Brain and Nervous System of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim, considered as comprehending a complete system of Phrenology," The Pamphleteer, vol. 5, no. 9 (February, 1815), pp. 219-43; and also in "Observations on a new System of Phrenology, or the Anatomy and Physiology of the Brain, of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim," The Philosophical Magazine and Journal, vol. 45 (January-June, 1815), pp. 44-63. As indicated by the titles, Forster gave a name to a system already in existence, introduced by the German anatomist Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) and Johann Spurzheim (1776-1832). The word phrenology had been in use slightly earlier as a more general name for the scientific study of the mind.

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phrenology was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near phrenology

Cite this Entry

“Phrenology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrenology. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

phrenology

noun
phre·​nol·​o·​gy fri-ˈnäl-ə-jē How to pronounce phrenology (audio)
: the study of the conformation and especially the contours of the skull based on the former belief that they are indicative of mental faculties and character

More from Merriam-Webster on phrenology

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!