incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the illness or disease it causes

Examples of incubation period in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The last case was reported on March 15, after which the state health officials waited 42 days - twice the virus's maximum incubation period - before formally declaring the outbreak over. —Kamal Choudhury, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026

Mumps has an incubation period of up to 25 days, authorities said. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026

Your child’s school will send out emails asking that parents keep unvaccinated children at home for the next three weeks, the virus’s maximum incubation period. —Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026

Students were offered free skin tests at Patchogue-Medford High School and will be offered another round in March, after a two-month incubation period, the interim superintendent said. —Mark Prussin, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incubation period

• myriad
• photoperiod

Kids Definition

incubation period

noun

1

: the period of brooding or incubating required to bring an egg to hatching

2

: the period between infection with a germ and the appearance of the disease or illness it causes

Medical Definition

incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the disease it causes

Mono, which has an incubation period of 30 to 50 days, characteristically announces itself with headaches, fever, sore throat, tonsillitis, and extreme fatigue.

—Your Health & Fitness

Quarantines worked to control the SARS epidemic because SARS is much less contagious than flu and has a longer incubation period.

—Christine Gorman, Time