Word
embryonic
Phoneticsem·bry·on·ic
US/ˌɛmbɹiˈɑnɪk/
UK/ˌɛmbɹɪˈɒnɪk/
Definition
adj. describing something that is in its very early stages and still developing. You use this to talk about a project or idea that has just started.
adj. relating to an embryo; in an early, undeveloped stage of existence or growth. Often used figuratively to describe nascent systems, ideas, or organizations.
Examples
“The company is still in its embryonic stage.”
“The plan for the new city park is currently in an embryonic form, with only a few rough sketches completed.”
“While the technology showed promise in its embryonic phase, it required decades of refinement before it could be deployed safely in a commercial environment.”
Examples
simple
“The company is still in its embryonic stage.”
contextual
“The plan for the new city park is currently in an embryonic form, with only a few rough sketches completed.”
complex
“While the technology showed promise in its embryonic phase, it required decades of refinement before it could be deployed safely in a commercial environment.”
Usage
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'in its embryonic stage' or 'embryonic form'.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“Sophie Nedelec said: "We know from previous research that motorboat noise affects parental care behavior, including oxygenating eggs by fanning during the embryonic phase, which is linked with their survival.” “In lab experiments, vanillin caused embryonic stem cells to lose their ability to develop normally and pushed them toward forming only certain types of tissue.” “They direct processes ranging from embryonic development to immune function.” Etymology
From New Latin embryonicus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/embryonic