spontaneous generation

noun

: a now-discredited notion that living organisms spontaneously originate directly from nonliving matter
A difficulty that we have forgotten lay in the widespread belief in spontaneous generation. Aristotle had written that flies, worms, and other small animals originated spontaneously from putrefying matter.—Daniel J. Boorstin

Examples of spontaneous generation 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.
It’s noted that both processes follow a similar two-stage pattern: the spontaneous generation of ideas, followed by their evaluation and refinement. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 May 2026 In the future, Ulbricht would like to carry out the quantum version of the experiment, which would entail observing the spontaneous generation of electromagnetic waves and their amplification from the vacuum. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2025 Pasteur coolly replied that Pouchet’s spontaneous generation experiments were fatally flawed. — Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025 Eventually, spontaneous generation theories died. — Christina Couch, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2022 See All Example Sentences for spontaneous generation

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spontaneous generation was in 1665

Rhymes for spontaneous generation

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Browse Nearby Words

spontaneous combustion
spontaneous generation
spontaneously
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Cite this Entry

“Spontaneous generation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spontaneous%20generation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

spontaneous generation

noun
: the coming into existence of living things directly from lifeless matter instead of from other living things

Medical Definition

spontaneous generation

noun
: a now discredited notion that living organisms spontaneously originate directly from nonliving matter

More from Merriam-Webster on spontaneous generation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spontaneous generation

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