germinal

¹

[jur-muh-nl]

adjective

1. being in the earliest stage of development.

   germinal ideas.

2. of or relating to a germ or germs.

3. of the nature of a germ or germ cell.

Germinal

²

[jur-muh-nl, zher-mee-nal]

noun

1. (in the French Revolutionary calendar) the seventh month of the year, extending from March 21 to April 19.

2. (italics),  a novel (1884) by Émile Zola.

germinal

¹

/ ˈdʒɜːmɪnəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like germs or a germ cell

2. of, or in the earliest stage of development; embryonic

Germinal

²

/ ʒɛrminal /

noun

1. the month of buds: the seventh month of the French revolutionary calendar, from March 22 to April 20

Other Word Forms

• germinally adverb
• nongerminal adjective
• subgerminal adjective
• subgerminally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of germinal¹

First recorded in 1800–10; from French or directly from Latin germin- (stem of germen “sprout, bud”; germ ) + -al ¹

Origin of germinal²

From French; germinal

Word History and Origins

Origin of germinal¹

C19: from New Latin germinālis, from Latin germen bud; see _germ

Example Sentences

Viola also performed in avant-garde composer David Tudor’s germinal musical production, “Rainforest.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The study documents germinal center–like structures in the spleens of rainbow trout, the first time anyone has detected them in bony fish.

Read more on Science Magazine

But first those memory cells get trained in immune system boot camps called germinal centers, learning to do more than just make copies of their original antibodies.

Read more on Seattle Times

In immune system boot camps called germinal centers, they also mutate antibody-producing genes to test out a range of those virus fighters, explained University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry.

Read more on Seattle Times

“So, now you don't get proper germinal centers, and those who do, it’s kind of wimpy germinal centers. So then at the end of the day, you don't get the best, longest-lived antibody response.”

Read more on National Geographic

Related Words

• burgeoning 
• fledgling 
• growing 
• incipient 
• nascent 
• promising