breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed ˈbrest-ˌfēd 

variants or breast-feed

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …

—Lauren Sandler

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding

Synonyms of breastfeed

• nurse
• suckle

Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies

Recent Examples on the Web

Lead exposure is especially dangerous for infants, children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and women of child-bearing age. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026

Hartford HealthCare has added two additional Mamava Lactation Pods at MidState Medical Center, expanding access to private, secure spaces for breastfeeding and pumping, according to the health system. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2026

Sophia posted several sweet snaps from the game, including multiple photos of Olivia posing while breastfeeding her daughter. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, as there is limited safety data around the ingredients. —Ali Pantony, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026

Some critics pointed out that there are a number of reasons, both medical and socioeconomic, that women may not be able to breastfeed or choose to avoid it. —Sarah Todd, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026

Pregnant or breastfeeding people should use caution with concentrated extracts, since safety at high doses isn’t well studied. —Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 30 Dec. 2025

Xofluza is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for outpatients with complicated or progressive illness, severely immunosuppressed people or hospitalized patients, because of the lack of information on its use for these groups. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025

Mamava Lactation Pods are designed to make breastfeeding and pumping easier in public spaces. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

breast-feed

verb

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breast-fed

-ˌfed

; breast-feeding

: to feed a baby from a mother's breast

Medical Definition

breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed

variants or breast-feed

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

This class for first-time breastfeeders will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

—The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal

On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding