nascent
Americanadjective
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beginning to exist or develop.
That nascent republic is holding its first election this month.
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Chemistry. (of an element) in the nascent state.
adjective
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starting to grow or develop; being born
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chem (of an element or simple compound, esp hydrogen) created within the reaction medium in the atomic form and having a high activity
Other Word Forms
- nascence noun
- nascency noun
- unnascent adjective
Etymology
Origin of nascent
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin nāscent-, stem of nāscēns “being born,” present participle of nāscī “to be born, arise”
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.
The half-dozen new bills are meant to help the nascent industry clear those hurdles.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Like other countries around the region, Iraq has become engulfed in the war, bringing to an abrupt end a period of nascent stability.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Just as importantly, he put Disney’s valuable imprimatur behind the nascent technology amid widespread fears about protecting the industry’s creative work from AI.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Sports and live events are seen as a means to attract and keep subscribers and an opportunity for Netflix to boost its nascent advertising business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Within the nascent galaxies, much smaller clouds were also experiencing gravitational collapse; interior temperatures became very high, thermonuclear reactions were initiated, and the first stars turned on.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
