1. of or relating to phrenology, the now-discredited pseudoscience that claimed to determine character and mental abilities by analyzing the shape and size of the skull
Usage: historical; often used critically to describe outdated or false scientific claims

Examples

• Phrenological theories were popular in the 19th century but have been completely rejected by modern science.
• The museum displayed phrenological busts used by practitioners to map personality traits.
• His phrenological analysis claimed that a large forehead indicated intelligence.
• Phrenological pseudoscience was often used to justify racist and discriminatory ideas.
• Modern neuroscience has thoroughly debunked phrenological assumptions about brain function.