executive function
noun
psychology
: the group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities (such as working memory, impulse inhibition, and reasoning) that control the skills (such as organizing tasks, remembering details, managing time, and solving problems) required for goal-directed behavior
The biggest impacts, she says, are in enhancing what's known as executive function—the ability to perform complex tasks that rely on planning or decision making.—
Janet Raloff
Janet Raloff
also
: one of these complex mental processes
But a new study reports that soccer players actually have superior executive functions, the brain processes responsible for planning and abstract thinking. —Sindya N. Bhanoo
Sindya N. Bhanoo
executive functioning
noun
Measures of attention, hyperactivity, and executive functioning (the ability to process feedback, interpret life's good and bad moments, and react in an appropriate way to events) were based on reports from parents and teachers …
—David Kirby
David Kirby
Examples of executive function in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Experts in psychiatry and workplace wellness previously told Newsweek that long hours are linked to sleep disruption, impaired executive function and even structural changes in the brain.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Participants’ weight, waist size, and body mass index (BMI) were tracked, along with their performance on tests of memory, orientation (for example, knowing the date and who the president is), and executive function (such as drawing a clock face).
—New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2025
None of the therapies examined were tied to higher executive function scores.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Estrogen plays a critical role in regulating dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter most closely tied to focus, motivation, and executive function.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for executive function
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Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Participants’ weight, waist size, and body mass index (BMI) were tracked, along with their performance on tests of memory, orientation (for example, knowing the date and who the president is), and executive function (such as drawing a clock face).
—New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2025
None of the therapies examined were tied to higher executive function scores.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Estrogen plays a critical role in regulating dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter most closely tied to focus, motivation, and executive function.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for executive function
Cite this Entry
“Executive function.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20function. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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