in vitro

adverb or adjective

in vi·​tro in-ˈvē-(ˌ)trō  -ˈvi- 

-ˈwē-

: outside the living body and in an artificial environment

Examples of in vitro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 36-year-old said she and her husband, who live near Seattle, Washington, underwent genetic testing and in vitro fertilization, or IVF, before welcoming their first child, a daughter, last October. — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Separately, however, Trump in 2025 signed an executive order designed to lower the costs of in vitro fertilization. — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

But multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment had failed. — Sarah Elizabeth Richards, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026

Those who should pay attention to the findings of this research are other researchers who can build upon this in vitro study and further investigate how sweeteners and other dietary compounds affect the gut. — Sukhman Rekhi, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, in glass

First Known Use

circa 1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for in vitro

• nitro

Kids Definition

in vitro

adverb or adjective

in vi·​tro in-ˈvē-(ˌ)trō 

: outside the living body and in an artificial environment

an egg fertilized in vitro

Etymology

Latin, literally, "in glass"

Medical Definition

in vitro

adverb or adjective

in vi·​tro in-ˈvē-(ˌ)trō  -ˈvi- 

: outside the living body and in an artificial environment

growth of cells in vitro

in vitro studies