weaned; weaning; weans
1
: to accustom (a young child or animal) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach from a source of dependence
being weaned off the medication
wean the bears from human food—
Sports Illus.
Sports Illus.
also
: to free from a usually unwholesome habit or interest
wean him off his excessive drinking
settling his soldiers on the land … , weaning them from habits of violence —Geoffrey Carnall
Geoffrey Carnall 3
: to accustom to something from an early age
—used in the passive especially with on
students weaned on the Internet for research
I was weaned on greasepaint—Helen Hayes
Helen Hayesthe principles upon which he had been weaned—J. A. Michener
J. A. MichenerExamples of wean in a Sentence
The calves are weaned at an early age.
Recent Examples on the Web
The pups were likely born in April and are now likely weaned, Odell said, but are still too small to travel with their parents.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 18 July 2025
Against doctors’ recommendations, Taylor weaned her daughter off the medication and stopped vaccinating her.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Practitioners at the facility weaned her off it in just five days.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 14 May 2025
The president told reporters last month that states need to be weaned off FEMA and that the federal government will start distributing less federal aid after hurricane season ends in November.
—Jeremy Lindenfeld, ProPublica, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 18 July 2025
Against doctors’ recommendations, Taylor weaned her daughter off the medication and stopped vaccinating her.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Practitioners at the facility weaned her off it in just five days.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 14 May 2025
The president told reporters last month that states need to be weaned off FEMA and that the federal government will start distributing less federal aid after hurricane season ends in November.
—Jeremy Lindenfeld, ProPublica, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
Cite this Entry
“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wean
verb1
: to get a child or young animal used to food other than its mother's milk
2
: to turn (one) away from something long desired or followed
wean a person from a bad habit
Medical Definition
wean
transitive verb1
: to accustom (as an infant or young child) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach usually gradually from a cause of dependence or form of treatment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share