unborn

adjective

un·​born ˌən-ˈbȯrn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
1
: not born : not brought into life
2
: still to appear : future
3
: existing without birth

Examples of unborn in a Sentence

a home entertainment system that can be adapted for products as yet unborn
Recent Examples on the Web What happens to spare embryos created during IVF is a question that was thrust into the national spotlight in February, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were people and characterized discarding them as killing unborn children. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024 Roger and Julie fall in love and get married, but their dream of raising a child is dashed when Julie loses their unborn child during an earthquake. Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024 Some constitutional law experts believe the amendment leaves an opening for challenges, where a court could be asked to determine whether an unborn child has a right to life under Florida’s constitution. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024 Blaise Taylor, 27, is accused of poisoning his girlfriend, Jade Benning, and killing her and her unborn child. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024 However, the law bars mothers from being charged for murder in the death of their own unborn child. USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024 Anderson’s family brought the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of both Anderson and her unborn child, a son named in the lawsuit as Jaxx. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2024 While there is an exception for conditions from which an unborn child would be stillborn, die after birth or die shortly after, Gonzales said the doctors still denied her care. Kendall Ross, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2024 Clark’s unborn child, Asher Blaze, also died, co-workers said. Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unborn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unborn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near unborn

Cite this Entry

“Unborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unborn. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

unborn

adjective
un·​born ˌən-ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
: not born
especially : still to appear : future
unborn generations

Medical Definition

unborn

adjective
un·​born -ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce unborn (audio)
: not yet born : existing in utero
unborn children

More from Merriam-Webster on unborn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!