imprinting

im·print·ing | \ ˈim-ˌprin-tiŋ

How to pronounce imprinting (audio)

, im-ˈprin- \

Definition of imprinting

: a rapid learning process that takes place early in the life of a social animal (such as a goose) and establishes a behavior pattern (such as recognition of and attraction to its own kind or a substitute)

Examples of imprinting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fact that researchers can discern bilingualism at an early age indicates that the brains of monolingual and bilingual babies are subject to unique and different patterns of neuronal imprinting. — Adrian Woolfson, WSJ, "‘The Bilingual Brain’ Review: Two Souls in One Body," 5 Mar. 2020 The process is completed with the imprinting of a small red heart on the lower right-hand corner of the license. — Nataly Keomoungkhoun, Dallas News, "What’s the organ donation process? Curious Texas investigates," 5 Feb. 2020 Now, Fedor Jelezko, a physicist at Ulm University in Germany, Zurek, and colleagues have demonstrated that redundant imprinting of information on the environment. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Twist on ‘survival of the fittest’ could explain how reality emerges from the quantum haze," 12 Sep. 2019 That is when 400 million years of munch-time imprinting takes over. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Great white sharks show up in huge numbers along the coast," 26 July 2019 Considering the deep imprinting of Muppetry on the Google mindset, the TV commercial won’t be the last of the partnership of the Henson’s puppets and the internet giant. — Steven Levy, WIRED, "Why Google Just Can’t Quit the Muppets," 27 Dec. 2011

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about imprinting

Dictionary Entries near imprinting

imprinted stamp

Statistics for imprinting

Cite this Entry

“Imprinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprinting. Accessed 15 Jul. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

indite

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.