1. relating to or of the nature of a germ cell or embryo.
▪ in the earliest stage of development: "a germinal idea"
▪ providing material for future development:"de Beauvoir's germinal book"
Word Originearly 17th century (in the sense ‘relating to spring’): from late Latin germinalis ‘of a seed’, from Latin germen, germin- ‘sprout, seed’ + -al.