: 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 some cases, doctors must terminate a pregnancy to save the patient's life, particularly when the fetus cannot survive.
—
Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
Other effects, such as developmental malformations in a fetus and cancer, have also been linked to this surfactant.1312
2.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2025
It is used in medications to prevent haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) — also known as rhesus disease — a potentially fatal disease that occurs when a pregnant person's blood is incompatible with that of their unborn baby, prompting their immune system to attack it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
The previous record holder was Wigan’s Kevlar sculpture of a fetus, situated in a hollowed piece of hair.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetus
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Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
Other effects, such as developmental malformations in a fetus and cancer, have also been linked to this surfactant.1312
2.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2025
It is used in medications to prevent haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) — also known as rhesus disease — a potentially fatal disease that occurs when a pregnant person's blood is incompatible with that of their unborn baby, prompting their immune system to attack it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
The previous record holder was Wigan’s Kevlar sculpture of a fetus, situated in a hollowed piece of hair.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 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 31 Mar. 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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