gestation

noun

ges·ta·tion | \ je-ˈstā-shən

Definition of gestation

1 : the carrying of young in the uterus (see uterus sense 1) : pregnancy

2 : conception (see conception sense 3) and development especially in the mind

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Examples of gestation in a Sentence

the gestation of new ideas The book has been in gestation for a long time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its physical substrate, the thalamo-cortical complex that provides consciousness with its highly elaborate content, begins to be in place between the 24th and 28th week of gestation. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why the Abortion Movie Unplanned Is Factually Incorrect," 16 Apr. 2019 The collaboration between Heath and Artek (which included among its founders Aino and Alvar Aalto, responsible for the original stool and tea trolley design) is the product of an almost two-year gestation. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "Artek’s Famous Finnish Tea Trolley Gets a California Twist From Heath Ceramics," 19 Oct. 2018 The gestation of his ultimate manner accorded in date and in feeling with the catastrophe of the war. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "Giacometti’s Skinny Sublimity," 6 June 2018 The gestation of the project goes right back to about 2011/2012. — Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Troy: Fall of a City' Producer on Homer, Wooden Horses and Potential for Season 2," 9 Apr. 2018 The Indiana Natality Report shows that 10 percent were born at less than 37 weeks’ gestation and 1.5 percent were considered very low birth weight (VLB). — Nancy Coltun Webster, Post-Tribune, "Neonatal units helping young lives for more than 30 years," 27 Apr. 2018 The team has no answers yet, but the additional discovery points to just how little scientists know about shark gestation. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Some Unborn Sharks Swim from Uterus to Uterus Inside Their Mom," 7 Jan. 2019 Rates of premature birth—defined as delivery at less than 37 weeks’ gestation—declined from 2007 to 2014, but increased for the second consecutive year in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Laura Landro, WSJ, "The New, Improved World of Infant Care," 16 Sep. 2018 She was given ultrasounds twice per week and underwent an emergency C-section at 30 weeks, six days gestation. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "6-year-old shares touching skin-to-skin moment with baby brother in NICU," 27 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gestation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.