fetal

adjective

fe·​tal ˈfē-tᵊl How to pronounce fetal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a fetus

Examples of fetal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The debate regarding fetal personhood and access to fertility care was beginning. — Kim Jackson, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 Dobbs has made that balance harder to maintain by inviting fetal-personhood principles into areas of law that had not previously treated fetuses or embryos as persons. — Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026 Functional connectivity in the fetal brain develops substantially later in gestation, with measurable differences in brain activity and facial responses to noxious versus innocuous stimulation appearing at approximately 33 weeks. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 Of those, several found modest associations linking the mother’s use of her phone with adverse measures of fetal growth. — New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fetal

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetal was in 1736

Phrases Containing fetal

Rhymes for fetal

See All Rhymes for fetal

Browse Nearby Words

feta
fetal
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
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Cite this Entry

“Fetal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fetal

adjective
fe·​tal ˈfēt-ᵊl How to pronounce fetal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a fetus

Medical Definition

fetal

adjective
fe·​tal
variants or chiefly British foetal
ˈfēt-ᵊl How to pronounce fetal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a fetus
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