impregnate

UK: /ˈɪmprɛgneɪt/

US: /ɪmˈprɛgneɪt/

US: (v. im preg′nāt, im′preg nāt′; adj. im preg′nit, -nāt)

Inflections of 'impregnate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

impregnates

v 3rd person singular

impregnating

v pres p

impregnated

v past

impregnated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

im•preg•nate /ɪmˈprɛgneɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -nat•ed, -nat•ing. 

1. Physiology to make pregnant:
   The dog was impregnated several months ago.
2. Physiology to fertilize:
   The flower was impregnated with pollen.
3. to cause to enter and be spread or permeated throughout:
   to impregnate a handkerchief with perfume.

im•preg•na•tion /ˌɪmprɛgˈneɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

im•preg•nate  (v. im preg′nāt, im′preg nāt′;adj. im preg′nit, -nāt), v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing, adj. 
v.t. 

1. Physiology to make pregnant;
   get with child or young.
2. Physiology to fertilize.
3. to cause to be infused or permeated throughout, as with a substance;
   saturate:
   to impregnate a handkerchief with cheap perfume.
4. to fill interstices with a substance.
5. to furnish with some actuating or modifying element infused or introduced;
   imbue, infect;
   tincture.

adj. 

6. Physiology impregnated.

• Late Latin impraegnātus past participle of impraegnāre to fertilize, impregnate, equivalent. to im- im-¹ + praegn- (see pregnant) + -ātus -ate¹
• 1535–45

im′preg•na′tion, n. 
im•preg′na•tor, n. 
im•preg•na•to•ry  (im preg′nə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.  Synonyms

• 3. permeate, infuse, penetrate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

impregnate verb / ˈɪmprɛɡˌneɪt/(transitive)

1. to saturate, soak, or infuse
2. to imbue or permeate; pervade
3. to cause to conceive; make pregnant
4. to make (land, soil, etc) fruitful

adjective / ɪmˈprɛɡnɪt -ˌneɪt/

1. pregnant or fertilized

Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin impraegnāre to make pregnant, from Latin im- in-² + praegnans pregnant

ˌimpregˈnation noun

imˈpregnator noun