in utero
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of in utero
First recorded in 1705–15, in utero is from Latin in uterō
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Do I plan to sign up for Good Inside Baby during my second son’s final weeks in utero?
From Slate • May 10, 2026
When she managed to travel to New York for an abortion, Phillips learned that her baby had died in utero, putting her at high risk of blood clots and infection.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Unlike the childhood circumstances that can affect height, the environmental exposures associated with autism for the most part take place in utero.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
The mixture contained dioxin, a deadly substance that not only causes a range of cancers and other illnesses, but is also linked to birth defects for babies exposed in utero.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2025
Something you should understand: I’m not androgynous in the least. 5-alpha-reductase deficiency syndrome allows for normal biosynthesis and peripheral action of testosterone, in utero, neona- tally, and at puberty.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
