1
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
… as brown in hue as hazelnuts, and sweeter than the kernels.—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: a whole seed of a cereal
a kernel of corn
3
: a central or essential part : germ
like many stereotypes … this one too contains some kernels of truth—S. M. Lyman
S. M. Lyman4
chiefly dialectal
: a fruit seed
5
mathematics
: a subset of the elements of one set (such as a group) that a function (such as a homomorphism) maps onto an identity element of another set
Examples of kernel in a Sentence
There's not a kernel of truth in what they say.
the kernel of your argument seems to be the inevitability of human migration into space
Recent Examples on the Web
Go whole hog on whole grains Hearty and versatile, whole grains — such as barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye and whole wheat — contain the entire grain kernel, including the bran, germ and endosperm.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
As with most of his career as a conspiracist, RFK is tying together little kernels of truth into a false narrative and then framing it as just asking common-sense.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
Season generously with salt, then stir in half of the corn kernels.
—Scott Clark, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
Older media has survived because some kernels of insight and expression cannot be replicated away.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kernel
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Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
As with most of his career as a conspiracist, RFK is tying together little kernels of truth into a false narrative and then framing it as just asking common-sense.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
Season generously with salt, then stir in half of the corn kernels.
—Scott Clark, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
Older media has survived because some kernels of insight and expression cannot be replicated away.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kernel
Cite this Entry
“Kernel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kernel. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kernel
noun
ker·nel
ˈkərn-ᵊl 
1
a
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
b
: a whole grain or seed of a cereal (as wheat or corn)
2
: a central or basic part
a kernel of truth in what they say
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