Standard Lemma guide

fertilization

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F ER2 T AH0 L IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act or process of rendering fertile.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of fecundating or impregnating the gametes of animals, plants, etc.; including the process by which in flowers the pollen renders the ovule fertile, an analogous process in flowerless plants, or the joining of sperm and egg in animals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of applying fertilizer to soil.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

making fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fertilisation, fecundation, dressing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enrichment

Narrower terms: top dressing

5

noun

Meaning 5

creation by the physical union of male and female gametes; of sperm and ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a plant

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fertilisation, fecundation, impregnation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: creation, conception

Narrower terms: pollination, pollenation, cross-fertilization, cross-fertilisation, self-fertilization, self-fertilisation, superfecundation, superfetation

History

Etymology

From French fertilisation; equivalent to fertilize + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բեղմնավորում (beġmnavorum) — act of rendering fertile
  • Bulgarian: оплождане (oploždane) — act of rendering fertile
  • Catalan: fertilització — act of rendering fertile
  • Czech: oplodnění — act of rendering fertile
  • Finnish: lannoitus — act of rendering fertile
  • Finnish: maanparannus — act of rendering fertile
  • French: fertilisation — act of rendering fertile
  • Galician: fertilización — act of rendering fertile
  • Georgian: განაყოფიერება (ganaq̇opiereba) — act of rendering fertile
  • Georgian: გაპატივება (gaṗaṭiveba) — act of rendering fertile
  • Hindi: निषेचन (niṣecan) — act of rendering fertile
  • Indonesian: fertilisasi — act of rendering fertile
  • Indonesian: pembuahan — act of rendering fertile
  • Indonesian: penghamilan — act of rendering fertile
  • Italian: fertilizzazione — act of rendering fertile
  • Malay: persenyawaan — act of rendering fertile
  • Māori: whakatōnga — act of rendering fertile
  • Portuguese: fertilização — act of rendering fertile
  • Romanian: fertilizare — act of rendering fertile
  • Russian: удобре́ние по́чвы (udobrénije póčvy) — act of rendering fertile
  • Scottish Gaelic: torachadh — act of rendering fertile
  • Spanish: fertilización — act of rendering fertile
  • Armenian: բեղմնավորում (beġmnavorum) — act of fecundating
  • Bulgarian: опрашване (oprašvane) — act of fecundating
  • Catalan: fecundació — act of fecundating
  • Finnish: hedelmöitys — act of fecundating
  • Finnish: hedelmöittäminen — act of fecundating
  • French: fécondation — act of fecundating
  • French: fertilisation — act of fecundating
  • Georgian: განაყოფიერება (ganaq̇opiereba) — act of fecundating
  • German: Befruchtung — act of fecundating
  • Greek: γονιμοποίηση (gonimopoíisi) — act of fecundating
  • Indonesian: fertilisasi — act of fecundating
  • Indonesian: pembuahan — act of fecundating
  • Indonesian: penghamilan — act of fecundating
  • Irish: toirchiú — act of fecundating
  • Italian: fecondazione — act of fecundating
  • Northern Kurdish: pîtandin — act of fecundating
  • Malay: persenyawaan — act of fecundating
  • Māori: whakakikiritanga — act of fecundating
  • Portuguese: fertilização — act of fecundating
  • Portuguese: fecundação — act of fecundating
  • Romanian: fecundare — act of fecundating
  • Russian: оплодотворе́ние (oplodotvorénije) — act of fecundating
  • Spanish: fecundación — act of fecundating
  • Swedish: befruktning — act of fecundating
  • Tagalog: sapunla — act of fecundating
  • Ukrainian: заплі́днення (zaplídnennja) — act of fecundating
  • Catalan: adobament — act of applying fertilizer
  • Finnish: lannoitus — act of applying fertilizer
  • Indonesian: fertilisasi — act of applying fertilizer
  • Indonesian: pemupukan — act of applying fertilizer
  • Indonesian: perabukan — act of applying fertilizer
  • Malay: pembajaan — act of applying fertilizer
  • Swahili: urutubishaji — act of applying fertilizer
Real reading context

fertilization in complete knowledge articles