unborn

adjective

un·​born ˌən-ˈbȯrn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
1
: not born : not brought into life
2
: still to appear : future
3
: existing without birth

Examples of unborn in a Sentence

a home entertainment system that can be adapted for products as yet unborn
Recent Examples on the Web Readers Respond The previous question was from a woman who disagreed with her husband about whether to divulge important information about her unborn child’s conception. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024 Someone who kills a pregnant woman and causes her unborn child to die as well can be prosecuted for double murder. Fred De Miranda, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024 How could a woman like Molly, who would have known in her bones the fear that comes with being pregnant and unmarried in a small, socially repressive country, reject her son’s lover and unborn child, and thereby inflict that terror on someone else? Maggie Doherty, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024 Because of the unborn baby's death, Taylor was charged with two first-degree murder charges. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024 What happens to spare embryos created during IVF is a question that was thrust into the national spotlight in February, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were people and characterized discarding them as killing unborn children. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024 Roger and Julie fall in love and get married, but their dream of raising a child is dashed when Julie loses their unborn child during an earthquake. Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024 Some constitutional law experts believe the amendment leaves an opening for challenges, where a court could be asked to determine whether an unborn child has a right to life under Florida’s constitution. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024 Blaise Taylor, 27, is accused of poisoning his girlfriend, Jade Benning, and killing her and her unborn child. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unborn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unborn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near unborn

Cite this Entry

“Unborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unborn. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

unborn

adjective
un·​born ˌən-ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
: not born
especially : still to appear : future
unborn generations

Medical Definition

unborn

adjective
un·​born -ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
: not yet born : existing in utero
unborn children

More from Merriam-Webster on unborn

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