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in utero
adverb or adjective
: in the uterus : before birth
a disease acquired in utero
an in utero diagnosis
Examples of in utero in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By Chantelle Lee December 4, 2024 3:34 PM EST
Kate Dineen was about 33 weeks pregnant with her second child when an ultrasound revealed that her baby had suffered a catastrophic stroke in utero and would likely either die before birth or have a short and painful life.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024
In the same vein, scientists increasingly suspect that exposures to risk factors at certain ages — whether in utero, early childhood, or early adulthood — could be playing an important role in a person’s risk of developing cancer at a young age.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Proper nutrition and stimulation in utero and during early childhood improve physical and mental well-being later in life.
—Jim Yong Kim, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Modern research now supports what Indigenous people have always known—that babies in utero are profoundly affected by sound and can recognize familiar voices from birth.
—Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Md, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Latin
First Known Use
1713, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near in utero
Cite this Entry
“In utero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20utero. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Medical Definition
in utero
adverb or adjective
: in the uterus : before birth
a disease acquired in utero
an in utero diagnosis
Legal Definition
in utero
adverb or adjective
: in the uterus : before birth
an injury suffered in utero
that her condition could possibly be linked to in utero exposure—Burgess v. Eli Lilly & Co., 995 F.2d 646 (1993)
Etymology
Latin
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