gestate

verb

ges·​tate ˈje-ˌstāt 

gestated; gestating

transitive verb

1

: to carry in the uterus during pregnancy

2

: to conceive and gradually develop in the mind

intransitive verb

: to be in the process of gestation

Examples of gestate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both projects are long-gestating passions of Star Wars godfather George Lucas, with the Lucas Museum being announced in 2013 and Detours, which Lucas executive-produced, remaining in stasis since Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 July 2026

Michael Stipe is offering another glimpse into his long-gestating solo era. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 24 July 2026

Alex Gibney’s long-gestating Elon Musk documentary Musk, clocking in at nearly 4 hours, an will have its world premiere on the Lido. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

The Italian filmmaker will instead screen his long-gestating Bernardo Bertolucci documentary Joie De Vivre, which runs seven hours long. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from gestation

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for gestate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Medical Definition

gestate

verb

ges·​tate ˈjes-ˌtāt 

gestated; gestating

transitive verb

: to carry in the uterus during pregnancy

intransitive verb

: to be in the process of gestation