embryonic

Also em·bry·o·nal

[em-bree-on-ik]

adjective

1. pertaining to or in the state of an embryo.

2. rudimentary; undeveloped.

   Synonyms: unfinished, immature, underdeveloped

embryonic

/ ˌɛmbrɪˈɒnɪk, ˈɛmbrɪənəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to an embryo

2. in an early stage; rudimentary; undeveloped

Other Word Forms

• embryonically adverb
• nonembryonal adjective
• nonembryonic adjective
• nonembryonically adverb
• pseudoembryonic adjective
• unembryonal adjective
• unembryonic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of embryonic¹

1840–50; embryon- ( embryo ) + -ic

Example Sentences

“We believe as a business that embryonic selection, genetic optimization, is not for the few, but for everyone,” Sadeghi said at the June launch of Nucleus’s polygenic embryo screening product.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While the business stated that its votes would uphold church teaching on abortion, it made no reference to other issues involving human life, such as euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, embryonic stem-cell use, or human cloning.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They rarely work with finished products; instead, they nurture embryonic ideas.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Because both the brain and skin develop from the same embryonic layer called the ectoderm, the scientists set out to explore how these two systems might be connected.

Read more on Science Daily

"We achieved something that was thought to be impossible," said Prof Shoukhrat Mitalipov, the director of the Oregon Health and Science University's centre for embryonic cell and gene therapy.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• evolving www.thesaurus.com
• immature 
• incipient 
• undeveloped