: 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
Concerns about whether antidepressants cause harms to developing fetuses, including neurodevelopmental disorders, have grown in recent years.
—
Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Such arrests, according to Pregnancy Justice, are tied to the concept of fetal personhood, which extends legal rights to fetuses and embryos.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
The clinic states that in 1 in 3 stillbirths, healthcare providers don't know why the fetus did not survive.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The law restricts surrogacy to cases where a mother can’t physically carry a pregnancy to term or where pregnancy would harm her or the fetus.
—Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fetus
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Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Such arrests, according to Pregnancy Justice, are tied to the concept of fetal personhood, which extends legal rights to fetuses and embryos.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
The clinic states that in 1 in 3 stillbirths, healthcare providers don't know why the fetus did not survive.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
The law restricts surrogacy to cases where a mother can’t physically carry a pregnancy to term or where pregnancy would harm her or the fetus.
—Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fetus
Cite this Entry
“Fetus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetus. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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