Definition of spontaneous generation in US English:
spontaneous generation
nounspänˈtānēəs ˌjenəˈrāSHən
historical The supposed production of living organisms from nonliving matter, as inferred from the apparent appearance of life in some supposedly sterile environments.
Example sentencesExamples
- He was one of the strongest opponents of the doctrine of spontaneous generation in the 17th century.
- In fact, classic myths, being vehicles for expressing universal patterns of unconscious thought, are filled with examples of spontaneous generation.
- The intense arguments for and against the concept of spontaneous generation spurred on the developments in the field.
- The further science progresses, the more unlikely spontaneous generation seems.
- The origin of living beings is initially through spontaneous generation.