in vitro

adverb or adjective

in vi·​tro in-ˈvē-(ˌ)trō How to pronounce in vitro (audio) -ˈvi- How to pronounce in vitro (audio)
-ˈwē-
: outside the living body and in an artificial environment

Examples of in vitro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These days, with Gerardi openly sharing her fertility journey and experiences with in vitro fertilization — a treatment that extracts eggs and fertilizes them with sperm outside of the body — her socials have become a communal space for others going through similar struggles. Dhanika Pineda, NPR, 4 June 2025 The recent attack on a California fertility clinic has placed in vitro fertilization back into the national spotlight, but experts in the field say that a conservative focus on natural conception is an even bigger threat to IVF access. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 25 May 2025 Though the building was destroyed, the center’s in vitro fertilization lab and embryos are stored at a different location and were not damaged, the company said. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025 The area has vintage shops, restaurants and hip hotels, along with medical offices clustered around the local hospital, Desert Regional Medical Center — which sits across the street from American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic and in vitro fertilization lab. Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for in vitro

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, in glass

First Known Use

circa 1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in vitro was circa 1894

Cite this Entry

“In vitro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20vitro. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

in vitro

adverb or adjective
in vi·​tro in-ˈvē-(ˌ)trō How to pronounce in vitro (audio)
: outside the living body and in an artificial environment
an egg fertilized in vitro
Etymology

Latin, literally, "in glass"

Medical Definition

in vitro

adverb or adjective
: outside the living body and in an artificial environment
growth of cells in vitro
in vitro studies
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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