fetal

[ feet-l ]

/ ˈfit l /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fetal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Embryology.

of, relating to, or having the character of a fetus.

Nearby words

festus, festy, fet, fet-, feta, fetal, fetal age, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal aspiration syndrome, fetal diagnosis

Also especially British, foe·tal.

Origin of fetal

First recorded in 1805–15; fet(us) + -al¹

Related forms

post·fe·tal, adjectivepost·foe·tal, adjective

Can be confused

fatal fateful fetal (see synonym study at fatal)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fetal

But she was in one of the 38 states that do have a fetal homicide law.
Charged With Murder for a Miscarriage in Oklahoma|Michael Daly|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some scientists assert there are three times as many cases of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders than FAS cases.
Internet’s Ridiculous Uproar Over Bar Bathroom Pregnancy Tests|Allison Yarrow|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Curled into a fetal position on an outdoor, candle-lit matt in Costa Rica, the 18-year-old trembles in fear.
Hallucinating Away a Heroin Addiction|Abby Haglage|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the fetal position, she begins shivering from the brisk wind.
Hallucinating Away a Heroin Addiction|Abby Haglage|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This means that fetal viability seems to be evolving with science.
How Wendy Davis Became America’s Conscience on Abortion|Keli Goff|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Let him lie on his right side, for this favors the complete closure of the fetal heart valve, the foramen ovale.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler
If the fetal head is not engaged in the pelvis, puncture must not be attempted.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley
Some terata, as the Acephalia, have no brain or spinal cord, but they die in the fetal stage.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley
In a series of 705 fetal deaths in Johns Hopkins Hospital, 26.4 per cent.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley
In fact, the fetal blood never comes in direct contact with that of the mother, or vice versa.
Private Sex Advice to Women|R. B. Armitage

British Dictionary definitions for fetal

fetal

foetal

/ (ˈfiːtəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a fetus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for fetal

fetal

[ fēt′l ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or being a fetus.

Science definitions for fetal

fetus

[ fē′təs ]

The unborn offspring of a mammal at the later stages of its development, especially a human from eight weeks after fertilization to its birth. In a fetus, all major body organs are present.

Related forms

fetal adjective