impregnate

/ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt/

//ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"impregnate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impregnate” is uncommon English (frequency #53,618 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,618
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause to become pregnant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impregnate · impregnate · English

impregnate · rank #53,618 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,618
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH imperceptible

Nearest frequency peer: imperceptible (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “impregnate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “impregnate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for impregnate
PropertyValue
Headwordimpregnate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#53,618
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “impregnate” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).impregnatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “imperceptible” (#53,617), “industrially” (#53,620), “innately” (#53,621). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impregnate” is #53,618. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

impregnate is uncommon English at frequency #53,618 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for impregnate in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1540, the verb in 1605; borrowed from Medieval Latin impraegnātus, perfect passive participle of Latin impraegnō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of impregn; participial usage of… The correct English form is impregnate, spelled I-M-P-R-E-G-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause to become pregnant.
  2. 2
    To fertilize.
  3. 3
    To saturate, or infuse.
  4. 4
    To fill pores or spaces with a substance.
  5. 5
    To become pregnant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how impregnate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I was impregnated at a clinic but don't know who the sperm donor is.
  2. The queen at their head, the representative of the future, has not yet been impregnated. Their entire destiny depends on the ensuing nuptial flight.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1540, the verb in 1605; borrowed from Medieval Latin impraegnātus, perfect passive participle of Latin impraegnō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of impregn; participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

get with childimpregnateinseminateinwombknock upsettle

Antonyms

become pregnant

This word in other languages

embarazar(Español)mettre enceinte(Français)schwängern(Deutsch)engravidar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "impregnate"?
"impregnate" is spelled I-M-P-R-E-G-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt/.
What does "impregnate" mean?
As a verb, "impregnate" means: To cause to become pregnant.
How do you pronounce "impregnate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impregnate" is /ˈɪmpɹɛɡneɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "impregnate"?
The adjective is first attested in 1540, the verb in 1605; borrowed from Medieval Latin impraegnātus, perfect passive participle of Latin impraegnō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of impregn; participia... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "impregnate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hawkesbury#53,593lenticular#53,658frolicking#53,561friendzone#53,560

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list