neonate

noun

ne·​o·​nate ˈnē-ə-ˌnāt 

: a newborn child

especially : a child less than a month old

Synonyms

• babe
• baby
• bambino
• child
• infant
• newborn

Examples of neonate in a Sentence

the hospital has added a new wing especially for neonates

Recent Examples on the Web

Whale shark neonates, like other shark species, do not receive any parental care after birth. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Most sightings of whale shark neonates come from accidental encounters — fisheries bycatch, strandings, or occasional lucky observations by divers or fishers. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

To understand where these births might be happening, researchers examined whether neonate sightings were associated with specific environmental conditions. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Despite the underlying cause, the management of a sick neonate follows a consistent approach. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin neonatus (short for infans neonatus, neo-natus puerulus, etc.), from neo- neo- + Latin natus, past participle of nāscī "to be born" — more at nation

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neonate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Medical Definition

neonate

noun

ne·​o·​nate ˈnē-ə-ˌnāt 

: a newborn infant

especially : an infant less than a month old