1. a pseudoscientific theory popular in the 19th century that claimed personality traits and mental abilities could be determined by the shape and size of the skull.
Usage: historical; discredited science; now considered pseudoscience

Examples

• Phrenology was widely believed in the 1800s but has been completely discredited by modern science.
• Victorian doctors sometimes used phrenology to justify racist and sexist theories.
• The phrenologist examined the patient's head, claiming to identify character flaws based on bumps on the skull.
• Phrenology represents an early attempt to link brain function to behavior, though its methods were fundamentally flawed.
• Many museums display phrenology busts as examples of outdated pseudoscientific practices.