birth control

noun

1
: deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation (as by use of birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, coitus interruptus, vasectomy, or tubal ligation) : contraception sense 1
Male sterilization, known as vasectomy, is the only long-acting method of birth control available to men …Richard V. Reeves and Eleanor Krause
… the rise in use of fertility apps and period trackers suggests women are keen for a hormone-free form of birth control.Nicola Davis and Niamh McIntyre
sometimes hyphenated before a noun
birth-control options
These clinics … provide all the birth-control methods for free.Robert Abbott
2
: devices or preparations designed to prevent conception
especially : devices or preparations (such as IUDs or birth control pills) that typically contain progestin either alone or in combination with estrogen and that prevent ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, or thin the uterine lining in order to prevent conception : contraception sense 2
Enabling pharmacists to prescribe birth control will improve access to this medication, especially in rural and underserved areas where access to reproductive health care is limited. The Newtown (Connecticut) Bee
see also birth control pill

Examples of birth control in a Sentence

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.
Sophia Yen, founder of Pandia Health, has raised money on CataCap to expand access to birth control and menopause treatment. Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 The Inuit victims, many of them teenagers at the time, were either fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices, known as IUDs or coils, or given a hormonal birth control injection. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025 Women who take birth control pills or are pregnant may also face an increased risk. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025 Patients often wait until the doctor is standing up to leave before blurting out their real concern, which is typically a sensitive or time-consuming problem, such as wanting to start birth control, having painful periods, or worrying about pregnancy or STDs. Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for birth control

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth control was in 1876

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birth control.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20control. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

birth control

noun
1
: control of the number of births especially by preventing or lessening the occurrence of conception
2
: devices or preparations used to prevent pregnancy

Medical Definition

birth control

noun
1
: deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation (as by use of birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, coitus interruptus, vasectomy, or tubal ligation) : contraception sense 1
… after careful consideration of the various types of birth control available, a woman may choose a diaphragm (see diaphragm sense 3) as her major method of pregnancy protection. … It is not necessary for her to rethink all of the birth control options every time she has sex.James Jaccard et al., New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
… family planning services through programs such as Medicaid and Title X, which have been critical in reducing costs and expanding access for low-income women to the birth-control method of their choice.Cecile Richards, The New England Journal of Medicine
2
: devices or preparations designed to prevent conception
especially : devices or preparations (such as IUDs or birth control pills) that typically contain progestin either alone or in combination with estrogen and that stop ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, or thin the uterine lining in order to prevent conception : contraception sense 2
For women of many identities, oral birth control represents an affordable, non-invasive, and effective means of family planning. Susannah Iles, Michigan Journal of Gender and Law
see also birth control pill

More from Merriam-Webster on birth control

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