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germinal

[ jur-muh-nl ]
/ ˈdʒɜr mə nl /
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See synonyms for germinal on Thesaurus.com
adjective
being in the earliest stage of development: germinal ideas.
of or relating to a germ or germs.
of the nature of a germ or germ cell.
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Origin of germinal

First recorded in 1800–10; from French or directly from Latin germin- (stem of germen “sprout, bud”; see origin at germ) + -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM germinal

ger·mi·nal·ly, adverbnon·ger·mi·nal, adjectivesub·ger·mi·nal, adjectivesub·ger·mi·nal·ly, adverb

Words nearby germinal

germ cell, germen, germfree, germicide, germinability, germinal, germinal area, germinal cell, germinal center of Flemming, germinal disk, germinal epithelium

Other definitions for germinal (2 of 2)

Germinal
[ jur-muh-nl; French zher-mee-nal ]
/ ˈdʒɜr mə nl; French ʒɛr miˈnal /
noun
(in the French Revolutionary calendar) the seventh month of the year, extending from March 21 to April 19.
(italics) a novel (1884) by Émile Zola.

Origin of Germinal

From French; see origin at germinal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to germinal

introductory, original, basic, incipient, promising, growing, fledgling, burgeoning, nascent, immature, undeveloped, evolving, antecedent, opening, leading, inaugural, pioneer, infant, initiative, fundamental

How to use germinal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for germinal (1 of 2)

germinal
/ (ˈdʒɜːmɪnəl) /
adjective
of, relating to, or like germs or a germ cell
of, or in the earliest stage of development; embryonic

Derived forms of germinal

germinally, adverb

Word Origin for germinal

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

British Dictionary definitions for germinal (2 of 2)

Germinal
/ French (ʒɛrminal) /
noun
the month of buds: the seventh month of the French revolutionary calendar, from March 22 to April 20
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

Medical definitions for germinal

germinal
[ jûr′mə-nəl ]
adj.
Of, relating to, or having the nature of a germ cell.
Of, relating to, or occurring in the earliest stage of development of an embryo or organism.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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