maternity

noun

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ma·ter·ni·ty | \ mə-ˈtər-nə-tē

plural maternities

Definition of maternity

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the quality or state of being a mother : motherhood

b : the qualities of a mother : motherliness

2 : a hospital facility designed for the care of women before and during childbirth and for the care of newborn babies

maternity

adjective

Definition of maternity (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : being or providing care during and immediately before and after childbirth maternity care a maternity unit

2 : designed for wear during pregnancy a maternity dress

3 : effective for the period close to and including childbirth maternity leave

Synonyms Maternity and Parts of Speech More Example Sentences Learn More about maternity

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Examples of maternity in a Sentence

Noun she had such maternity at such a young age that all her classmates went to her for comfort

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun It's often noted that the United States is alone among rich nations in not providing maternity leave; support for child care is likewise abysmal. — Kate Washington, Star Tribune, "50 million Americans are unpaid caregivers and need help," 23 Feb. 2021 Captains Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger have spent the last two weeks on maternity leave following the adoption of their daughter, while veterans Marta and Alex Morgan have been with their national teams for the SheBelieves Cup. — Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, "Energetic Orlando Pride attack preseason training with optimism," 19 Feb. 2021 The highest governing soccer organization is introducing a new policy to safeguard the rights of female players, namely mandatory maternity leave. — Lindsey Mcginnis, The Christian Science Monitor, "Points of Progress: FIFA guarantees maternity leave, and more," 15 Jan. 2021 This week, Bindi Irwin honored her late father, Steve Irwin, by recreating a throwback maternity photo. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Pregnant Bindi Irwin Just Shared the Most Beautiful Instagram Tribute to Her Late Father Steve," 15 Jan. 2021 Rowland, who is set to give birth any day now, also had some fun modeling her cozy maternity wear. — Jasmine Grant, Essence, "Kelly Rowland Is Having A Blast As She Prepares To Deliver Baby #2," 15 Jan. 2021 Emily Ratajkowski is keeping the chic maternity looks coming. — Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, "Emily Ratajkowski's Latest Chic Maternity Look Includes a Faux Fur Coat and Yellow Yeezy Boots," 12 Jan. 2021 To support them, governments provided better child care, longer school hours, and extended maternity leaves. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "Pandemic Year Two," 29 Dec. 2020 Many sought refuge in maternity clinics such as Cimigen, where the number of births doubled and the number of prenatal visits quadrupled, according to the clinic’s executive director, Marisol del Campo Martínez. — New York Times, "In Mexico, Childbirth in Covid’s Shadow," 22 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective There are plenty of non-maternity options in flowy silhouettes that work just as well. — Alexis Bennett, Vogue, "9 Fall Maternity Dresses to Keep in Rotation This Season," 26 Oct. 2020 With petite, plus, tall and maternity collections, Infinitely Loft embraces a range of playful and professional styles for subscribers of all sizes. — Elizabeth Wolfe, NBC News, "Clothing subscription boxes and sustainability: What to know," 11 May 2020 The world’s largest maternity clothes seller has brought on Berkeley Research Group LLC, the people said. — Lillian Rizzo, WSJ, "Destination Maternity Hires Adviser Amid Retail Turmoil," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maternity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.