placental

1 of 2

adjective

pla·​cen·​tal plə-ˈsen-tᵊl How to pronounce placental (audio)
1
: of, relating to, having, or occurring by means of a placenta
2
: eutherian

placental

2 of 2

noun

: a placental mammal : eutherian

Examples of placental 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.
Adjective
The finale takes us straight to the hospital, where doctors inform Yancy that Ellie’s suffered a placental abrasion, putting both Ellie and the baby’s life at risk. — Barry Levitt, Time, 23 July 2026 In this study, published last month in Science, researchers found that as mice got close to the end of their pregnancies, placental levels of NAD+ and its precursors dropped off fast. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 20 July 2026
Noun
Ellie is rushed to the hospital for her early labor, where doctors were luckily able to treat her placental abrasion and safely deliver the baby and keep Ellie healthy. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 The belly button belongs exclusively to the Eutheria, the placental mammals, and its presence is a direct consequence of their defining reproductive strategy. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for placental

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of placental was in 1785

Rhymes for placental

See All Rhymes for placental

Browse Nearby Words

placenta
placental
placentalian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Placental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/placental. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

placental

1 of 2 adjective
pla·​cen·​tal -əl How to pronounce placental (audio)
1
: of, relating to, having, involving, or produced by a placenta
placental lactogen
placental defects
2
: of or relating to placental mammals

placental

2 of 2 noun
: placental mammal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All