birth

1 of 3

noun

ˈbərth 

plural births

1

a

: the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent see also date of birth

b

: the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb

2

: a state resulting from being born especially at a particular time or place

a Southerner by birth

3

a

: lineage, extraction

b

: high or noble birth

4

a

archaic : one that is born

b

: beginning, start

see also:

give birth give birth to

birth

2 of 3

verb

birthed; birthing; births

transitive verb

1

chiefly dialectal : to bring forth

2

a

: to give rise to : originate

b

: to give birth to

intransitive verb

: to bring forth or be brought forth as a child or young

birth

3 of 3

adjective

: biological sense 3

his birth mother

Synonyms of birth

Noun

• nativity
• parenting

Verb

• produce
• have
• deliver
• mother

Adjective

• biological

Examples of birth in a Sentence

Noun

He was present at the birth of his daughter.

The hospital reported an increase in premature births.

Please indicate your date of birth.

the period from birth to adolescence

a disease that is present at birth

the birth of the solar system

the birth of the blues

We are witnessing the birth of a new era.

Verb

back in those days a woman her age would have birthed several children

Adjective

argued that the birth mother had not been informed of all of her options at the time of the adoption

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Lindsay Clancy’s case began with a bout of insomnia and anxiety several months after the birth of her third child with her husband, Patrick, in a quiet suburb outside Boston. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Just … Miley Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx’s birth name is Eric Marlon Bishop, and his stage name was more strategic than anything else. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 4 Oct. 2026

Verb

But recovering from a second knee injury in as many years offers time for reflection, including that highlight reel which birthed his legend almost 10 years ago. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The main series, which was birthed out of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, featured the same cast for its first 11 seasons before the network chose to reboot the series for season 12. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Adjective

When the latter has a post-birth panic about surrendering her child, Irina simply absconds with it from the private hospital facility in the middle of the night, knowing the destitute young woman is unlikely to pursue any legal or other options. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

The infant and his mother were then transported to a hospital for post-birth medical care, with both expected to make a full recovery. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse byrth; akin to Old English beran

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1831, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing birth

• accident of birth
• birth canal
• birth certificate
• birth chart
• birth control
• birth control pill
• birth date
• birth defect
• birth father
• birth mother
• birth pang
• birth parent
• birth rate
• date of birth
• give birth
• give birth to
• live birth
• multiple birth
• partial-birth abortion
• virgin birth
• wrongful birth

Rhymes for birth

• berth
• dearth
• earth
• firth
• girth
• mirth
• worth
• afterbirth
• childbirth
• rebirth
• stillbirth
• tamworth

Kids Definition

birth

noun

ˈbərth

1

a

: the coming out of a new individual from the body of its parent

b

: the act or process of bringing forth young from the uterus

2

: descent sense 1, lineage

noble birth

3

: beginning sense 1, origin

Medical Definition

birth

1 of 3 noun

ˈbərth 

1

: the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent

2

: the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb

birth

2 of 3 transitive verb

: to give birth to

allowed to birth her child in her own way

—Nancy Robinson

intransitive verb

: to bring forth or be brought forth as a child or young

contend that birthing is a natural process, rather than a medical procedure

—Kit Miniclier

the baby birthed breech

—Jayne Anne Phillips

birth

3 of 3 adjective

: biological sense 3

spent years searching for his birth parents