unborn

IPA/ˌʌnˈbɔːn/
KK[ˈʌnbˈɔrn]IPA/ˌʌnˈbɔːrn/

unborn — adjective

  • unbornpositive
  • more unborncomparative
  • most unbornsuperlative

1. describes a baby or young animal that is still growing inside its mother's body,

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a baby or young animal that is still growing inside its mother's body, before the process of entering the world begins.

Example

Dr. Yamada checked the unborn baby's heartbeat during the twenty-week ultrasound.

attributive use: unborn + baby

Saira stopped drinking coffee after learning it could harm her unborn child.

Common collocations
  • unborn baby
  • unborn child
  • unborn infant
  • unborn fetus
  • the unborn
  • generations yet unborn
  • unborn generations
  • unborn children
Synonyms
  • prenatal

    Describes the period, care, or development before birth, not the baby itself — e.g. prenatal vitamins, not 'prenatal baby'

  • fetal

    Strictly medical; relates to the biological stage of the fetus, rarely used in everyday speech

  • antenatal

    British English equivalent of 'prenatal'; describes care or screening before birth

Antonyms
  • born

    Simple opposite; a baby that has already entered the world

  • newborn

    A baby in the first days or weeks after birth

Grammar Patterns

unborn + noun (e.g. unborn baby, unborn child)

the + unborn (nominal use referring to unborn children as a group)

generations yet unborn (fixed phrase)

Usage Note

Describes only the baby or animal itself — never the mother (a woman carrying a baby is 'pregnant', not 'unborn'). The noun phrase 'the unborn' refers collectively to all unborn children and is most common in legal, ethical, and political discussions.

Common Mistakes

She is unborn with her first child.
She is pregnant with her first child.
'unborn' describes the baby, not the mother.
The doctor recommended an unborn check-up.
The doctor recommended a prenatal check-up.
'unborn' is not used for medical procedures or tests.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four relate to the period before birth, but they attach to different things. 'Unborn' is the everyday word that directly describes the baby or child — you say 'unborn baby', not 'prenatal baby'. 'Prenatal' (US) and 'antenatal' (UK) describe medical care, vitamins, tests, or development during pregnancy, not the baby itself: a mother attends prenatal check-ups, but she carries an unborn child. 'Fetal' is strictly biological and medical, focusing on the physical stage of development — doctors talk about fetal heartbeat or fetal growth, but a parent would not call their baby 'fetal'. Use 'unborn' in personal, emotional, or ethical contexts; use 'prenatal' or 'antenatal' for healthcare; use 'fetal' only in clinical or scientific discussion.

unborn ↗prenatalantenatal ↗fetal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the unborn
  • generations yet unborn
  • unborn generations

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the past participle 'born' of the verb 'bear', which in Old English meant to carry or give birth to. The word has been part of English since before the year 900, appearing in Old English as 'unboren'. Its core meaning has stayed essentially the same for over a thousand years.