mama

noun

ma·​ma ˈmä-mə How to pronounce mama (audio)
chiefly British mə-ˈmä
variants or less commonly mamma or momma
Synonyms of mamanext
1
: mother
2
slang : wife, woman

Examples of mama in a Sentence

I'm not your mama—you'll have to clean up after yourself.
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.
My hope is that Meadow not only remembers the tall ocean waves knocking us down to laughter, or the incredible sounds of the island drums, but also the feeling that her mama enjoys her company, slowing down with her, and showing her the world from a space of fullness and not depletion. Kareema Bee, Parents, 31 Dec. 2025 Behind a big mama grizzly bounded a months-old cub. Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025 Many focused on home, family, mama, papaw and grampa. Bob Hill, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Dec. 2025 Some part of Baudelaire’s lifelong free-spending and indolence seems to be a direct rebellion against the man, if not outright Freudian jealousy—Charles was an unabashed mama’s boy. Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mama

Word History

Etymology

baby talk

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mama was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mama. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

mama

noun
ma·​ma
variants also mamma or momma
ˈmäm-ə

More from Merriam-Webster on mama

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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