mama

noun

ma·​ma ˈmä-mə How to pronounce mama (audio)
 chiefly British  mə-ˈmä
variants or less commonly mamma or momma
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.
Yes mama, violets do it best—blooming and enduring despite the rough summer heat. Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025 The View cohost Joy Behar's instincts as an Italian-American mama bear led her to lash out at Hollywood actor Martin Sheen over his handling of son Charlie Sheen's past substance addiction. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025 So that's become kind of my go-to, when there's a tired mama in the neighborhood who needs something easy to feed her family. Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025 Talking to God, facetiming my mama, loving myself by taking care of my body and mind. Akili King, Essence, 10 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.

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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