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 Two took place in 2019, one for a life-endangering physical condition and another because of a serious fetal genetic defect. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024 Florida has now postponed a fetal personhood bill amid concerns about impacting IVF treatments. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2024 The importance of choline in supporting a healthy pregnancy and fetal neural development has only recently been emphasized. Casey Seiden, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 And there’s an ongoing effort to link maternal deaths with birth records or fetal death records to confirm the case, or to flag records without a match for an extra round of review from death certifiers. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Sam Fetters These events could include mutations in dividing fetal cells, or something that causes certain genes to be switched on or off. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024 Monica Kelly was 12 weeks pregnant when her fetus was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a severe fetal condition, and was unlikely to survive birth or would die shortly after birth, according to the lawsuit. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024 Advanced technology allows technicians to measures small pieces of fetal DNA in the mother’s blood, and is used to screen for certain chromosome disorders, including Down Syndrome. Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024 After doctors still detected a fetal heartbeat, she was discharged and asked to follow up several days later. USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fetal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 26 Apr. 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

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