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.
The little babies were seen in photos zipping through the air alongside their mamas. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2025 Bio-Oil has also received glowing reviews from more than one mama. Erin Bunch, Glamour, 9 July 2025 As Kourtney's first and only daughter, Penelope has always gotten lots of love from her mama. Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 8 July 2025 Maybe predators will infiltrate the hen house, the ends of a fence don’t quite align or a mama will crush her litter. Bennet Goldstein, jsonline.com, 4 July 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 26 Jul. 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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