birth mother

noun

: the mother of a child when the child is born

specifically : a woman who gave birth to a child who has been adopted

They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital.

—Emily Nussbaum

Examples of birth mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

American adoptee John Campitelli was 28 years old when he was reunited with his Italian birth mother. — Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 12 July 2026

The birth mother of a 7-year-old girl from Long Island, New York, is planning to sue the county and school district following the death of her daughter in December 2025. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 10 July 2026

Melissa Gilbert reveals she’s discovered three older half-brothers on her birth mother’s side. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026

Nikki’s anxiety over the emergence of Princess’ birth mother, Kat (Charlotte Riley), is all but wrapped up in the first episode. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for birth mother

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• brother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther

Legal Definition

birth mother

noun

birth moth·​er

: the woman who gave birth to a child especially as distinguished from the child's adoptive mother