Plain English Meaning

The way the inner ear tells your brain which way is up, whether you are turning, and whether you are speeding up or slowing down. It is one of the systems the body uses to know its position in space.

Full Definition

The body's sense of position, motion, and balance derived from the vestibular system of the inner ear, which detects head movement, acceleration, and orientation relative to gravity. It is one of three sensory inputs the brain uses to determine spatial orientation, alongside vision and proprioception (the body's sense of pressure and position).

Context Anchor

Seen in instrument flying discussions about how pilots maintain orientation when outside visual references are or gone.