embryonic

adjective

em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈä-nik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
Synonyms of embryonicnext
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development : incipient, rudimentary
an embryonic plan
embryonically adverb

Examples of embryonic in a Sentence

The tourism industry there is still in an embryonic stage.
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.
This season still is too much in the embryonic phase to draw any conclusions despite an uninspiring start. Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026 Tsissios and his colleagues found, however, that tadpole cells appear to be worse at sensing oxygen than embryonic mice cells do—suggesting that tissue regeneration may be influenced by both levels of oxygen and the animals’ ability to sense it. Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026 Zlotnikov wrote that the condition was likely caused by a mutation that had occurred very early in embryonic development, a supposition that was confirmed decades later by genetic analysis. Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 The subsequent deterioration in embryos that had been in microgravity for up to 24 hours was likely due to negative effects the absence of gravity has on the processes taking place in the quickly dividing embryonic cells. Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for embryonic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin embryonicus, from embryon-, embryo embryo + Latin -icus -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of embryonic was in 1740

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Embryonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryonic. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

embryonic

adjective
em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈän-ik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development
an embryonic plan
embryonically adverb

Medical Definition

embryonic

adjective
em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈän-ik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development : incipient, rudimentary
embryonically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on embryonic

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster