wean

verb

ˈwēn 

weaned; weaning; weans

transitive verb

1

: to accustom (a young child or animal) to take food otherwise than by nursing

2

: to detach from a source of dependence

being weaned off the medication

wean the bears from human food

—Sports Illus.

also : to free from a usually unwholesome habit or interest

wean him off his excessive drinking

settling his soldiers on the land …  , weaning them from habits of violence

—Geoffrey Carnall

3

: to accustom to something from an early age

—used in the passive especially with on

students weaned on the Internet for research

I was weaned on greasepaint

—Helen Hayes

the principles upon which he had been weaned

—J. A. Michener

Examples of wean in a Sentence

The calves are weaned at an early age.

Recent Examples on the Web

That expanded on the 1935 Banking Act, which weaned the Fed away from the Treasury Department to minimize partisan influence and established the Fed’s policymaking committee in its current form. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025

While some of the tariff threats could trigger a trade war with the bloc, some European officials are hoping Trump can pressure Kremlin-friendly countries in the bloc to wean off of Russian energy resources in exchange for U.S. energy. —Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 Jan. 2025

Once weaned, the kittens should be separated from the mother gradually, allowing her milk to dry up naturally, so that her mammary glands do not become engorged. —George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024

The advent of autonomous vehicles such as self-driving cars and self-driving trucks is predicted to wean down the need for human drivers. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wenen, from Old English wenian to accustom, wean; akin to Old English wunian to be used to — more at wont

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wean

• wean from/off
• wean on

Kids Definition

wean

verb

ˈwēn 

1

: to get a child or young animal used to food other than its mother's milk

2

: to turn (one) away from something long desired or followed

wean a person from a bad habit

Medical Definition

wean

transitive verb

ˈwēn 

1

: to accustom (as an infant or young child) to take food otherwise than by nursing

2

: to detach usually gradually from a cause of dependence or form of treatment