Meaning & use
Gestate
Last updated
To carry a developing offspring in the womb, or, figuratively, to develop an idea or plan gradually over time.
See it in a sentence
Elephants gestate their young for nearly two years.
The novel had gestated in his mind for a decade before he began writing it.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense, meaning to slowly develop a plan or idea, is common in business and creative contexts.
Words with a similar meaning
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