Meanings
plural fertilizations · alternative fertilisation
- countableuncountableThe act or process of rendering fertile.
- countableuncountableThe 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.
In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.
2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3 - countableuncountableThe act of applying fertilizer to soil.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouncreation by the physical union of male and female gametes; of sperm and ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a plant
nounmaking fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchfertilisation
- Englishfertilization
From French fertilisation; equivalent to fertilize + -ation.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian оплождане, опрашване
- оплождане (oploždane)act of rendering fertile
- опрашване (oprašvane)act of fecundating
Catalan fertilització, fecundació
- fertilitzacióact of rendering fertile
- fecundacióact of fecundating
- adobamentact of applying fertilizer
Czech oplodnění
- oplodněníact of rendering fertile
Finnish lannoitus, maanparannus
- lannoitusact of rendering fertile
- maanparannusact of rendering fertile
- hedelmöitysact of fecundating
- hedelmöittäminenact of fecundating
- lannoitusact of applying fertilizer
French fertilisation, fécondation
- fertilisationact of rendering fertile
- fécondationact of fecundating
- fertilisationact of fecundating
German Befruchtung
- Befruchtungact of fecundating
Greek γονιμοποίηση
- γονιμοποίηση (gonimopoíisi)act of fecundating
Hindi निषेचन
- निषेचन (niṣecan)act of rendering fertile
Indonesian fertilisasi, pembuahan
- fertilisasiact of rendering fertile
- pembuahanact of rendering fertile
- penghamilanact of rendering fertile
- fertilisasiact of fecundating
- pembuahanact of fecundating
- penghamilanact of fecundating
- fertilisasiact of applying fertilizer
- pemupukanact of applying fertilizer
- perabukanact of applying fertilizer
Irish toirchiú
- toirchiúact of fecundating
Italian fertilizzazione, fecondazione
- fertilizzazioneact of rendering fertile
- fecondazioneact of fecundating
Malay persenyawaan, persenyawaan
- persenyawaanact of rendering fertile
- persenyawaanact of fecundating
- pembajaanact of applying fertilizer
Māori whakatōnga, whakakikiritanga
- whakatōngaact of rendering fertile
- whakakikiritangaact of fecundating
Portuguese fertilização, fertilização
- fertilizaçãoact of rendering fertile
- fertilizaçãoact of fecundating
- fecundaçãoact of fecundating
Romanian fertilizare, fecundare
- fertilizareact of rendering fertile
- fecundareact of fecundating
Russian удобре́ние по́чвы, оплодотворе́ние
- удобре́ние по́чвы (udobrénije póčvy)act of rendering fertile
- оплодотворе́ние (oplodotvorénije)act of fecundating
Scottish Gaelic torachadh
- torachadhact of rendering fertile
Spanish fertilización, fecundación
- fertilizaciónact of rendering fertile
- fecundaciónact of fecundating
Swahili urutubishaji
- urutubishajiact of applying fertilizer
Swedish befruktning
- befruktningact of fecundating
Tagalog sapunla
- sapunlaact of fecundating
Ukrainian заплі́днення
- заплі́днення (zaplídnennja)act of fecundating
Cite this entry
fertilization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fertilization
“fertilization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fertilization. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fertilization,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fertilization.
Source: fertilization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.