• (in vitro fertilization) A procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman's ovary and combined with sperm outside the body to form embryos. The embryos are grown in the laboratory for several days and then either placed in a woman's uterus or cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.
  NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• (in vitro fertilization) A process whereby (usually multiple) ova are placed in a medium to which sperm are added for fertilization, the zygote thus produced is then introduced in the uterus.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• An assisted reproductive technique that includes the direct handling and manipulation of oocytes and sperm to achieve fertilization in vitro.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
• (in vitro fertilization) Fertilization of an ovum outside of the body.
  NCI
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• (artificial fertilization) Assisted reproductive technique that includes the direct handling and manipulation of oocytes and sperm to achieve fertilization in vitro.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child.
  Mayo Clinic
  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
• In vitro fertilization (IVF), medical procedure in which mature egg cells are removed from a woman, fertilized with male sperm outside the body, and inserted into the uterus of the same or another woman for normal gestation. Although IVF with reimplantation of fertilized eggs (ova) has long been...
  Encyclopedia Britannica
  Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025