: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo sense 1a
Examples of fetus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In May 2004, he was found guilty of 161 counts of first-degree murder — one for each of the 160 victims who were not federal agents, and one for the fetus of a pregnant woman who died, per SFGate.
—
Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
In these arguments, the fetus was a recessive, even shadowy figure.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Ultrasounds are used during pregnancy to monitor the growth and development of the fetus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Though her fetus was already pressing against her cervix, doctors waited 40 hours until the fetal heartbeat stopped to inducea delivery, putting her at serious risk of deadly infection.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetus
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Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
In these arguments, the fetus was a recessive, even shadowy figure.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Ultrasounds are used during pregnancy to monitor the growth and development of the fetus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Though her fetus was already pressing against her cervix, doctors waited 40 hours until the fetal heartbeat stopped to inducea delivery, putting her at serious risk of deadly infection.
—Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetus
Cite this Entry
“Fetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
ˈfēt-əs 
plural fetuses
: a young animal while in the body of its mother or in the egg especially in the later stages of development
especially
: a developing human being in the uterus from usually two months after pregnancy occurs to birth compare embryo sense 1
Medical Definition
fetus
noun
fe·tus
variants
or chiefly British foetus
plural fetuses or chiefly British foetuses or foeti
ˈfēt-ˌī
: an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind
specifically
: a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth compare embryo
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