in vitro

American  

[in vee-troh] / ɪn ˈvi troʊ /

adverb

1. (of a biological process) made to occur in a laboratory vessel or other controlled experimental environment rather than within a living organism or natural setting.

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in vitro British  

/ ɪn ˈviːtrəʊ /

adverb

1. (of biological processes or reactions) made to occur outside the living organism in an artificial environment, such as a culture medium

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in vitro Scientific  

/ ĭnvē′trō /

1. In an artificial environment, such as a test tube.

2. Compare in vivo

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in vitro Cultural  

1. In the laboratory; literally, “in glass” (laboratory experiments are often carried out in glass containers). In vitro conditions are distinguished from conditions that actually apply in nature. (Compare in vivo.)

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Discover More

In vitro appears in the expression in vitro fertilization , a way of producing human embryos in a laboratory.

Etymology

Origin of in vitro

First recorded in 1890–95; from Latin in vitrō, literally, “in glass”

Compare meaning

How does in-vitro compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• in vivo vs. in vitro

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in vitro

In addition, we provided substantial financial help for in vitro fertilization when our daughter was trying to have this baby.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

To better understand how the mutation functions in a living organism, the researchers are moving from in vitro experiments to in vivo studies.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

In late 2023, CooperSurgical recalled three lots of embryo culture solution used for in vitro fertilization.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

When he asked Zilis about it, she said it was via in vitro fertilization, or IVF, and that their relationship was platonic, according to his testimony.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

When these failed, Dr. Rosen advised in vitro fertilization.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini