: coming or having recently come into existence
a nascent middle class
her nascent singing career
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The Origin of Nascent
Nascent comes from nascens, the present participle of the Latin verb nasci, which means "to be born." It is related to words such as nation, native, nature, and innate.
Examples of nascent in a Sentence
In the mid-'60s, Toronto was home to Yorkville, a gathering spot for draft resisters, a petri dish for a nascent coffeehouse and rock scene similar to the one developing in New York's Greenwich Village.
—
Mike Sager, Rolling Stone, 27 June 1996
It was almost 80 years ago that the Wright brothers from Ohio ventured to Kitty Hawk for the uplift its steady winds offered their nascent passion, airplanes.
—Robert R. Yandle, Popular Photography, March 1993
A few centuries late, when the nascent science of geology was gathering evidence for the earth's enormous antiquity, some advocates of biblical literalism revived this old argument for our entire planet.
—Stephen Jay Gould, Granta 16, Summer 1985
The actress is now focusing on her nascent singing career.
one of the leading figures in the nascent civil-rights movement
Mike Sager, Rolling Stone, 27 June 1996
It was almost 80 years ago that the Wright brothers from Ohio ventured to Kitty Hawk for the uplift its steady winds offered their nascent passion, airplanes.
—Robert R. Yandle, Popular Photography, March 1993
A few centuries late, when the nascent science of geology was gathering evidence for the earth's enormous antiquity, some advocates of biblical literalism revived this old argument for our entire planet.
—Stephen Jay Gould, Granta 16, Summer 1985
The actress is now focusing on her nascent singing career.
one of the leading figures in the nascent civil-rights movement
Recent Examples on the Web
On May 1, 1866, a White mob laid siege to the nascent Black community that had begun to thrive in Memphis, Tennessee.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
Or does the show have more to say about the Ice Truck Killer in his nascent stage?
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
SkyDrive View 3 Images SkyDrive has long taken a leadership role in Japan's nascent eVTOL industry with sights on eventually making its flying cars as ubiquitous as automobiles.
—New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2025
To figure out how to expand her nascent operation, Ms. Chappelle applied for programs that would teach her the ins and outs of retailing.
—Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nascent
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Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
Or does the show have more to say about the Ice Truck Killer in his nascent stage?
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
SkyDrive View 3 Images SkyDrive has long taken a leadership role in Japan's nascent eVTOL industry with sights on eventually making its flying cars as ubiquitous as automobiles.
—New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2025
To figure out how to expand her nascent operation, Ms. Chappelle applied for programs that would teach her the ins and outs of retailing.
—Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nascent
Articles Related to nascent
Cite this Entry
“Nascent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nascent. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
1
: coming or having recently come into existence : beginning to develop
nascent polypeptide chains
2
: of, relating to, or being an atom or substance at the moment of its formation usually with the implication of greater reactivity than otherwise
nascent hydrogen
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