What does coronal mean?
Coronal is an adjective meaning relating to or resembling a crown, particularly the crown of the head. Derived from the Latin corona, meaning wreath or crown, it appears as a technical term in several distinct fields. In anatomy, the coronal suture joins the frontal and parietal bones of the skull, and the coronal plane divides the body into front and back halves — a standard reference in medical imaging. In astronomy, coronal describes phenomena associated with the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona; a coronal mass ejection is a vast eruption of plasma that can disturb communications on Earth. In phonetics, coronal characterises consonants produced with the front of the tongue, including t, d, s, and n, and can also function as a noun for such a sound. Though rarely heard in casual conversation, coronal is indispensable in medicine, solar physics, and the science of speech, where precision about position and articulation matters.
Relating to or resembling a crown, especially the crown of the head; in anatomy, denoting the coronal suture or coronal plane; in astronomy, relating to the sun's corona; in phonetics, describing sounds articulated with the tip or blade of the tongue.
"The MRI displayed the brain in a coronal section, revealing structures from front to back."
The precise meaning depends heavily on the field: medical readers will assume the anatomical plane sense, while astronomers will read it as referring to the solar corona.
In phonetics, a consonant sound produced with the tip or blade of the tongue, such as /t/, /d/, /s/, or /n/.
"English has a large inventory of coronals across its dental, alveolar, and postalveolar series."
This noun sense is confined almost entirely to linguistic and phonetic literature.
Used only for the noun sense in phonetics, referring collectively to coronal consonants.
"Languages differ markedly in how freely they allow coronals in syllable-final position."
The same little word describes both explosions on the sun and the way your tongue makes the sound 't' — thanks to an ancient Latin word for 'wreath'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coronal
Coronal derives from the Latin corona, meaning 'wreath' or 'crown', which itself traces back to the Greek korōnē, a curved object such as a wreath or bow. English adopted the word in the late Middle English period, applying it first to things resembling a crown and later extending it anatomically to the crown of the head. Its relatives include corona, coronary, coronation, and coronet, all sharing the same crown-rooted ancestry.
How coronal is actually used
Coronal is a technical term found mainly in medicine, dentistry, astronomy, and linguistics, rather than everyday conversation. In everyday use outside these fields, its most familiar appearance is in the astronomical phrase 'coronal mass ejection.' The noun sense is restricted almost entirely to phonetics. It should not be used loosely to mean 'royal' or 'of kings' despite its crown-derived etymology.
Easily confused with coronal
Coronary refers specifically to the arteries surrounding the heart (as in 'coronary artery'), while coronal refers to a crown, the crown of the head, or certain tongue-produced speech sounds.
A corollary is a proposition that follows logically from another, whereas coronal is an anatomical or phonetic term relating to a crown or the front of the tongue.
Corona is the noun for a crown-like structure or the sun's outer atmosphere, while coronal is the corresponding adjective describing something of or relating to such a crown.