What does neural mean?
Neural means relating to nerves, the nervous system, or systems that process and transmit signals in a way associated with neurons. The word is common in medicine and biology, where it describes neural tissue, neural pathways, and neural activity. It is also widely used in computing and artificial intelligence to refer to neural networks: computational systems inspired by the way biological brains process information. In everyday conversation, people may use “neural” to suggest sophisticated or brain-like processing, though its technical associations make it more specialized than “mental” or “nervous.” The adjective is also found in compounds such as “neural network” and “neural pathway.” Because its use is closely associated with modern technology, it can convey both scientific precision and a sense of advanced or intelligent computation.
adjectiveRelating to or involving the nerves or the nervous system. In modern usage, it is especially common in technical contexts involving neural networks, artificial intelligence, and the transmission of signals between neurons.
- Relating to nerves or the nervous system; of or involving neural networks, neurons, or the processing of information in artificial systems.
"The researchers developed a neural network that can identify certain types of cancer from medical images."
"Damage to the neural pathway can interrupt the brain’s ability to control movement."
"The company has invested heavily in neural computing and machine learning."
The word “neural” originally referred to nerves; today it is at the heart of how modern computers learn from data.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neural come from?
Neural comes from Latin neuralis, meaning “of or relating to nerves,” which was formed from nervus, “nerve, sinew, tendon.” The same Latin root underlies English words including nerve, neuro-, neurology, and neuralgia. In English, neural was used in medical and anatomical contexts before becoming especially prominent in the late twentieth century with the development of artificial neural networks and machine-learning systems.
Related word forms
How neural is actually used
Neural is more technical and formal than ordinary wording such as “of the nerves.” In contemporary computing usage, it often refers specifically to artificial neural networks, including systems modeled loosely on the way biological neurons process information.
Easily confused with neural
Neural is a technical or descriptive term relating to nerves or nervous-system activity, whereas nervous commonly describes a person’s emotional state or anxiety.