What does macrocephalous mean?
Macrocephalous is an uncommon adjective meaning that a person, animal, fossil, or skull has an unusually or abnormally large head. It occurs chiefly in medicine, biology, physical anthropology, and taxonomy, where precise descriptions of physical form are important. The related noun macrocephaly names the condition itself, while macrocephalic is a closely related adjective sometimes used in its place. In ordinary conversation, macrocephalous is likely to sound technical or literary rather than familiar, and it should not be confused with expressions suggesting intelligence or mental ability: the word describes physical morphology only. Its Greek components are transparent: makros means “large” or “long,” and kephalē means “head.” Knowing macrocephalous is therefore useful not only for understanding specialized writing but also for recognizing a wider family of English words based on the ancient Greek tradition of describing body and skull forms through compound terms.
adjectiveHaving an unusually or abnormally large head. The term is used chiefly in medicine, biology, physical anthropology, and descriptive taxonomy.
- Having an unusually or abnormally large head.
"The specimen was identified by its macrocephalous cranium, which was markedly larger than those of the related fossils."
"The fossil was distinguished by its macrocephalous cranium, with a cranial vault substantially larger than those of the related specimens."
"Macrocephalous traits can be recorded in clinical examinations, physical anthropology, and descriptions of animal species."
Macrocephalous is a literal head-size clue: Greek makros, meaning “large,” is joined to kephalē, meaning “head.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does macrocephalous come from?
Macrocephalous combines the Greek makros, meaning “large” or “long,” with kephalē, meaning “head.” English also uses the related noun macrocephaly and the adjective macrocephalic. Other English words containing cephal- or -cephalic, such as cephalic and dolichocephalic, continue the same Greek head-related root.
Related word forms
How macrocephalous is actually used
This is a formal, specialized, and relatively uncommon term. It refers strictly to physical head size and does not imply greater intelligence, which is sometimes mistakenly inferred from the idea of a “large head.”
Easily confused with macrocephalous
Macrocephalous is the adjective describing an unusually large head, whereas macrocephaly is the noun naming the condition.