incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the illness or disease it causes

Examples of incubation period in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In humans, the infection is insidious, with an asymptomatic incubation period of between 5 and 15 years. —ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025

Levels of antibodies created by the vaccine might decrease over time, but with a virus like measles, its longer incubation period gives the body’s immune memory cells more time to help fight the infection. —Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025

The incubation period can last days or more than a year. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

While the first year served as a sort of incubation period, the PTLAC has bigger plans for its second year, which is ongoing. —Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incubation period

• myriad
• photoperiod

Kids Definition

incubation period

noun

1

: the period of brooding or incubating required to bring an egg to hatching

2

: the period between infection with a germ and the appearance of the disease or illness it causes

Medical Definition

incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the disease it causes

Mono, which has an incubation period of 30 to 50 days, characteristically announces itself with headaches, fever, sore throat, tonsillitis, and extreme fatigue.

—Your Health & Fitness

Quarantines worked to control the SARS epidemic because SARS is much less contagious than flu and has a longer incubation period.

—Christine Gorman, Time