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.
Surrogacy agreements can include provisions addressing what happens if prenatal testing reveals a serious fetal abnormality, but those provisions do not necessarily give intended parents the power to force a surrogate to terminate a pregnancy. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Research highlights how occupational heat exposure can double adverse birth outcomes, with heat acting as a fetal toxin, while fine particulate matter contributes to preterm births and low birth weight. — Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Someone with gestational hypertension will need more frequent monitoring, which may include home blood pressure measurements, blood and urine tests, and additional monitoring of fetal growth and well-being. — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Instead, one morning in January, an informal village health practitioner came to her home and said the fetal heartbeat was slow. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fetal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetal. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All