nascent

American  

[nas-uhnt, ney-suhnt] / ˈnæs ənt, ˈneɪ sənt /

adjective

1. beginning to exist or develop.

   That nascent republic is holding its first election this month.

2. Chemistry. (of an element) in the nascent state.

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nascent British  

/ ˈneɪ-, ˈnæsənt /

adjective

1. starting to grow or develop; being born

2. chem (of an element or simple compound, esp hydrogen) created within the reaction medium in the atomic form and having a high activity

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Other Word Forms

• nascence noun
• nascency noun
• unnascent adjective

Etymology

Origin of nascent

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin nāscent-, stem of nāscēns “being born,” present participle of nāscī “to be born, arise”

Example Sentences

TAE—whose backers include Alphabet, Chevron and Goldman Sachs—is one of the oldest and most prominent companies working in the relatively nascent field of commercial nuclear fusion.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Emerging markets, including Thailand, India, Indonesia and the Philippines are at the nascent stages of building their data centre infrastructure but possess immense potential for growth," says KPMG.

From Barron's

The nascent effort is decades behind Asia, but it is a start.

From The Wall Street Journal

But this arrangement highlights some of the limitations of the nascent industry.

From Los Angeles Times

Its nascent industries, including chip development, high-end electronics, and green energy solutions are largely bereft of foreign capital and expertise.

From Barron's

Related Words

• burgeoning
• fledgling
• growing
• incipient
• promising