gestation

noun

ges·​ta·​tion je-ˈstā-shən 

1

: the carrying of young in the uterus (see uterus sense 1) : pregnancy

2

: conception (see conception sense 3) and development especially in the mind

gestational

je-ˈstā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of gestation

• pregnancy

Examples of gestation in a Sentence

the gestation of new ideas

The book has been in gestation for a long time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hall had a 1% chance of survival when he was born four months premature at just 23 weeks gestation, born without a heartbeat and suffering from a brain bleed. —Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026

The babies were born at 31 weeks of gestation, or about seven months into the pregnancy. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

In the Making The babies — Thomas Ray, Shane Austin and Beaux Bentley — were delivered prematurely at 31 weeks gestation. —Ryan Brennan april 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026

The gestation of Raw took several years because Kesselman was obsessed with creating a new type of paper — thin, translucent and brown that contained no additives or calcium carbonate (chalk). —Steve Bloom, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin gestation-, gestatio, from gestare to bear, frequentative of gerere to bear

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gestation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

gestation

noun

ges·​ta·​tion je-ˈstā-shən 

: the carrying of young in the uterus : pregnancy

Medical Definition

gestation

noun

ges·​ta·​tion je-ˈstā-shən 

1

: the carrying of young in the uterus from conception to delivery : pregnancy

2

: gestation period

gestational

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective