incubation
n. C / Un. the process of keeping something in the right conditions so it can develop. This could be a bird sitting on an egg or a scientist growing bacteria in a warm lab.
n. the maintenance of controlled environmental conditions to promote the development of an embryo, a bacterial culture, or a chemical reaction. In a psychological context, it refers to the unconscious processing of a problem during a period of rest.
The eggs need a long period of incubation before they hatch.
The laboratory technician placed the samples in the warm chamber for a forty-eight-hour incubation period to check for bacterial growth.
In the creative process, a period of incubation often follows intense research, allowing the subconscious mind to synthesize disparate ideas into a coherent solution while the individual is focused on other tasks.
From Latin incubātiō, from incubō (“to lie on”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Uncountable when referring to the general process; countable when referring to a specific instance or duration.
Last updated May 8, 2026