birth rate

noun

variants or birthrate
: the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time

Examples of birth rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The outflow, coupled with a record low birth rate, makes California especially reliant on immigration for new workers, which in turn is affected by turmoil in federal immigration policy. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 Phillip Levine, an economist at Wellesley College, said the birth rate has declined due to shifts in how women approach work, leisure, and parenting. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 Since 1990, the teen birth rate has dropped by 73%, while the rate for women over 40 has increased by 193%. Memorialcare Saddleback Medical Center, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026 At the same time, as the government slammed the door on the diaspora, Italy’s birth rate in 2025 dropped to a new low, according to figures released on March 31 by ISTAT, the national statistics institute. Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for birth rate

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth rate was in 1856

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birth rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20rate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

birthrate

noun
birth·​rate -ˌrāt How to pronounce birthrate (audio)
: the number of births for every hundred or every thousand persons in a given area or group during a given time

Medical Definition

birth rate

noun
variants or birthrate
: the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time often expressed as number of live births per hundred or per thousand population per year

called also natality

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