neonatal

adjective

neo·​na·​tal ˌnē-ō-ˈnā-tᵊl How to pronounce neonatal (audio)
: of, relating to, or affecting the newborn and especially the human infant during the first month after birth
neonatal mortality
neonatal intensive care unit
neonatally
ˌnē-ō-ˈnā-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce neonatal (audio)
adverb

Examples of neonatal in a Sentence

a neonatal intensive care unit
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.
Brittany Nicole Sponenberg’s son has been in a neonatal intensive care unit in Danville, Pennsylvania, for almost two months while his underdeveloped lungs and gut grew strong enough to handle regular breathing and feeding. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Provide prenatal diagnostics, TeleNICU access, neonatal education, standardized care pathways, bridge-to-home services, and rural newborn care coordination. — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026 Plans call for 24-hour emergency care, Level III trauma services, obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, adult critical care, advanced imaging and cardiac catheterization. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 An air conditioner explosion sparked a blaze in a neonatal nursery at Islamabad’s main public hospital, killing 14 newborns and leaving only one survivor as parents watched in shock and grief. — Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for neonatal

Word History

Etymology

New Latin neonatus neonate + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neonatal was in 1894

Rhymes for neonatal

See All Rhymes for neonatal

Browse Nearby Words

neon
neonatal
neonate
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Cite this Entry

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

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Medical Definition

neonatal

adjective
neo·​na·​tal ˌnē-ō-ˈnāt-ᵊl How to pronounce neonatal (audio)
: of, relating to, or affecting the newborn and especially the human infant during the first month after birth
neonatal jaundice
neonatal death
compare prenatal, intranatal, postnatal
neonatally
-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce neonatal (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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