define artificial insemination
Artificial Insemination. The process by which a woman is medically impregnated using semen from her husband or from a third-party donor. Artificial insemination is employed in cases of infertility or impotence, or as a means by which an unmarried woman may become pregnant. The procedure, which has been used since the 1940s, involves injecting collected semen into the woman's uterus and is performed under a physician's supervision.