weaned; weaning; weans
1
: to accustom (a young child or animal) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach from a source of dependence
being weaned off the medication
wean the bears from human food—
Sports Illus.
Sports Illus.
also
: to free from a usually unwholesome habit or interest
wean him off his excessive drinking
settling his soldiers on the land … , weaning them from habits of violence —Geoffrey Carnall
Geoffrey Carnall 3
: to accustom to something from an early age
—used in the passive especially with on
students weaned on the Internet for research
I was weaned on greasepaint—Helen Hayes
Helen Hayesthe principles upon which he had been weaned—J. A. Michener
J. A. MichenerExamples of wean in a Sentence
The calves are weaned at an early age.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the heat of the moment, Petro decided to talk to Maduro about an idea: the leftist strongman should propose a climate pact with the country’s opposition leaders to wean Venezuela off oil.
—Justin Worland/bogotá, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Body composition measurements, including body fat, bone mass, basal metabolism, and more, are geared towards those trying to lose or maintain weight, while its ultra-long battery life and custom watch faces make it so that people weaning this smartwatch casually will also benefit.
—Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 9 Oct. 2024
Since the start of Russia’s invasion, Moldova has weaned itself off its dependence on Russian gas and moved closer to Europe than at any point in its post-Soviet history.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
By honing Burden’s taste, Horowitz weaned him from Cohn.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wean 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin Worland/bogotá, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Body composition measurements, including body fat, bone mass, basal metabolism, and more, are geared towards those trying to lose or maintain weight, while its ultra-long battery life and custom watch faces make it so that people weaning this smartwatch casually will also benefit.
—Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 9 Oct. 2024
Since the start of Russia’s invasion, Moldova has weaned itself off its dependence on Russian gas and moved closer to Europe than at any point in its post-Soviet history.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
By honing Burden’s taste, Horowitz weaned him from Cohn.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wean
Dictionary Entries Near wean
Cite this Entry
“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wean
verb1
: to get a child or young animal used to food other than its mother's milk
2
: to turn (one) away from something long desired or followed
wean a person from a bad habit
Medical Definition
wean
transitive verb1
: to accustom (as an infant or young child) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach usually gradually from a cause of dependence or form of treatment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share