: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo sense 1a
Examples of fetus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Proponents of charging pregnant women for conduct that could harm a fetus argue that the threat of prosecution incentivizes the women to get care or treatment for substance use disorders.
—
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2024
Giving the vaccine to pregnant women can help protect a growing fetus.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
More than three-quarters of all defendants were low-income and nearly all cases allowed prosecutors to charge pregnant people without having to prove that there was harm to the fetus or infant, according to the latest year of data in the new report.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024
Thyroid hormones are important for the normal development of the brain, which suggests developing fetuses and young children are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of high fluoride exposure.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fetus 
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2024
Giving the vaccine to pregnant women can help protect a growing fetus.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
More than three-quarters of all defendants were low-income and nearly all cases allowed prosecutors to charge pregnant people without having to prove that there was harm to the fetus or infant, according to the latest year of data in the new report.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024
Thyroid hormones are important for the normal development of the brain, which suggests developing fetuses and young children are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of high fluoride exposure.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fetus
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fetus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fetus
Cite this Entry
“Fetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
ˈfēt-əs 
plural fetuses
: a young animal while in the body of its mother or in the egg especially in the later stages of development
especially
: a developing human being in the uterus from usually two months after pregnancy occurs to birth compare embryo sense 1
Medical Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
variants
or chiefly British foetus
plural fetuses or chiefly British foetuses or foeti
ˈfēt-ˌī
: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo
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