gestation

noun

je-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce gestation (audio)
Definition of gestationnext
as in pregnancy
the state of containing unborn young within the body the length of gestation for the gray wolf is about 63 days

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gestation The sustained gestation the placenta enabled supported larger, more metabolically expensive brains. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Last month, the House of Representatives agreed to do their bidding by tucking a provision in the Farm Bill that would abrogate state humane farming laws that ban gestation, veal, and battery crates. — Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 18 May 2026 Children were also more likely to be diagnosed with autism and ADHD if their fathers took antidepressants during their gestation, even if their mothers did not — an association that suggests a genetic link, not a pharmacological one. — Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 In 2007 researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute reportedly spotted a wild Graneledone boreopacifica octopus off the coast of California who went on to stay with her eggs for a record-breaking four-plus years—an even longer gestation than that of the alpine salamander. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gestation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gestation
pregnancy
Noun
  • Their big family update came after a difficult year for the parents, who publicly shared that Natalie experienced three pregnancy losses in 2025.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Common wisdom also held that birthmarks were caused by the mother’s experience during pregnancy.
    — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of pregnancy

Browse Nearby Words

gest
gestation
gestational
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Cite this Entry

“Gestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gestation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gestation

Nglish: Translation of gestation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gestation

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