fetal

adjective

fe·​tal ˈfē-tᵊl How to pronounce fetal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a fetus

Examples of fetal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What is Trichloroethylene? TCE is a toxic chemical which is known to cause liver cancer, kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, immune system, reproductive organs and fetal heart defects. Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 Centrist Democrats are pro-choice, unequivocally in the case of rape and the health of the mother, but accept limitations at the point of fetal viability. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Dec. 2024 Several states have laws recognizing fetal personhood, but Missouri would be the second — after Alabama — to enshrine it in its constitution. Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 5 Dec. 2024 In 2013, Vora and her colleagues described a woman with an advanced neuroendocrine cancer who’d had an abnormal NIPT result even without any detectable fetal health problems. Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fetal 

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetal was in 1736

Dictionary Entries Near fetal

Cite this Entry

“Fetal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetal. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fetal

adjective
fe·​tal ˈfēt-ᵊl How to pronounce fetal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a fetus

Medical Definition

fetal

adjective
fe·​tal
variants or chiefly British foetal
: of, relating to, or being a fetus

More from Merriam-Webster on fetal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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