mama

noun

ma·​ma ˈmä-mə How to pronounce mama (audio)
 chiefly British  mə-ˈmä
variants or less commonly mamma or momma
1
: mother
2
slang : wife, woman

Examples of mama in a Sentence

I'm not your mama—you'll have to clean up after yourself.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Their other film credits include the short Tripoli, Quiet, and OK, Enough, Goodbye, a low budget comedy about an overgrown mama’s boy of 40 years suddenly forced to construct a life on his own, and starring Daniel Arzrouni and Nadime Attieh. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025 Caregiver, advocate, mama bear fighting with claws out — yes. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025 For months, the baby was stuck in the fishing gear while trying to learn how to be a whale from its mama, the company said. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Looking for more true mom gear to help your favorite mama out? Nena Farrell, Wired News, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mama

Word History

Etymology

baby talk

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mama was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mama. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

mama

noun
ma·​ma
variants also mamma or momma
ˈmäm-ə

More from Merriam-Webster on mama

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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