gestation

American  

[je-stey-shuhn] / dʒɛˈsteɪ ʃən /

noun

• gestations
  plural

1. the process, state, or period of gestating.

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gestation British  

/ ˈdʒɛstətɪv, dʒɛˈsteɪ-, dʒɛˈsteɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. the development of the embryo of a viviparous mammal, between conception and birth: about 266 days in humans, 624 days in elephants, and 63 days in cats

   2. ( as modifier )

      gestation period

2. the development of an idea or plan in the mind

3. the period of such a development

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gestation Scientific  

/ jĕ-stā′shən /

1. The period of time spent in the uterus between conception and birth. Gestation in humans is about nine months.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gestational
  adjective
• gestative
  adjective
• gestatory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gestations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gestation

1525–35; < Latin gestātiōn- (stem of gestātiō ), equivalent to gestāt ( us ) ( see gestate) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Gestation is the period of time when something is conceived and developed. The gestation period for human babies lasts nine months. Gestation comes from the Latin gestare, which means to bear, or give birth to. We can talk about the gestation of fetus before it's born, but we also use gestation to talk about ideas. If you've been vaguely thinking about starting a revolution for the last year, then that idea has been in gestation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gestation gestations

It is used to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation in combination with the drug misoprostol, which stimulates contractions and softens the cervix, allowing tissue to expel.

From Barron's ● May 10, 2026

Before the new law went into effect, the state allowed for abortions up to 15 weeks of gestation.

From Salon ● May 5, 2026

The company says its product, which works solely with bovine breath samples, has detected gestation with 94% accuracy in lab tests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

RSV immunizations are recommended for everyone age 75 and up, babies younger than 8 months, and pregnant women between 32 weeks to 36 weeks of gestation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

His will, it turned out, was that Emily give birth at home at twenty-six weeks’ gestation.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

“Potentially, those gestations that would have ended in fetal death in 2021 were born alive in 2022 and then died shortly after,” Ms. Gemmill said in an interview.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

For one, it works best with species that have big litters and short gestations, Quimon points out.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 2, 2021

Finally, some mothers, including the obese, jogged on little running wheels throughout the resulting pregnancies, voluntarily covering up to seven miles a week in the early stages of their three-week gestations.

From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2021

The researchers who do this work say it would be impossible to use this technology with babies younger than about 21 weeks—and that pushing to earlier gestations is not their goal.

From Slate ● Jan. 30, 2020

With one thousand and thirty one cows, whose gestations were carefully observed in France, the average period was about two hundred and eighty-five days.

From Cattle and Their Diseases Embracing Their History and Breeds, Crossing and Breeding, And Feeding and Management; With the Diseases to which They are Subject, And The Remedies Best Adapted to their Cure by Robert Jennings