Phrase guide

incubation period

noun · 2 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The time elapsed between an exposure to a pathogenic organism, a chemical or radiation, and the appearance of signs and symptoms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the period between infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time period, period of time, period

History

Etymology

Since 1850s, from earlier period of incubation, attested in that now obsolete sense since late 1820s, which is a calque of French période d'incubation (attested since mid-1810s), itself a calque from Latin periodus incubationis (attested since 1770s).

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 潛伏期 /潜伏期 (qiánfúqī) — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Dutch: incubatietijd — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Finnish: itämisaika — time between exposure and symptoms
  • French: période d'incubation — time between exposure and symptoms
  • German: Inkubationszeit — time between exposure and symptoms
  • German: Incubationsdauer — time between exposure and symptoms
  • German: Incubationsstadium — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Greek: περίοδος επώασης (períodos epóasis) — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Hungarian: lappangási idő — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Hungarian: inkubációs idő — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Irish: tréimhse ghoir — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Japanese: 潜伏期間 (senbuku kikan) — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Norwegian Bokmål: inkubasjonstid — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: inkubasjonstid — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Romanian: perioadă de incubație — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Romanian: timp de incubație — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Russian: инкубацио́нный пери́од (inkubaciónnyj períod) — time between exposure and symptoms
  • Swedish: inkubationstid — time between exposure and symptoms