The meaning of VESTIGIAL is remaining in a form that is small or imperfectly developed and not able to function : being or having the form of a vestige. How to use vestigial in a sentence.

Examples of vestigial structures (also called degenerate, atrophied, or rudimentary organs) are the loss of functional wings in island-dwelling birds; the human vomeronasal organ; and the hindlimbs of the …

Of little or less importance (Definition of vestigial from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Vestigial is used to describe the small amounts of something that still remain of a larger or more important thing.

(Biology) (of certain organs or parts of organisms) having attained a simple structure and reduced size and function during the evolution of the species: the vestigial pelvic girdle of a snake.

Definition of vestigial adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

vestigial, adj. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

What does vestigial mean? Vestigial is used to describe something, especially a part of an organism, that used to have a function but has now shrunk and is mostly not used anymore.

Dec 24, 2025 · vestigial (not comparable) Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past. Not fully developed in mature animals. Remnants of the vascular supply of lost organs may be …

VESTIGIAL meaning: 1 : remaining in a form that is not fully developed or able to function; 2 : remaining as the last small part of something that existed before