Meaning & use
insemination
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedicaltechnical
The act of putting semen into a female's reproductive tract so that she may become pregnant.
Grammar: Uncountable: 'insemination' as a process; use 'an insemination' only for a single procedure.
Patterns
- artificial insemination
- insemination of a female
- insemination with donor sperm
The clinic offers artificial insemination to couples who need help conceiving.
In agriculture, insemination is often done artificially to improve livestock.
The procedure of insemination was successful on the first attempt.
Common combinations
- artificial insemination
- Artificial insemination is common in dairy farming.
- donor insemination
- They chose donor insemination after years of trying.
- intrauterine insemination
- Intrauterine insemination places sperm directly into the uterus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fertilization
- Focuses on the joining of sperm and egg, not the delivery of semen.
Word family
- inseminate verb
- To introduce semen into a female.
Commonly confused: insemination or implantation?
insemination vs implantation
Implantation is when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus lining, a later step than insemination.
Practice
Which phrase correctly completes: 'The vet performed artificial ______ on the mare.'?
Choose one answer.
Artificial insemination is the standard term for the procedure. Implantation and conception refer to later stages, and fertilization is the joining of cells, not the delivery of semen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insemination”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.