maternity

1 of 2

noun

ma·​ter·​ni·​ty mə-ˈtər-nə-tē How to pronounce maternity (audio)
plural maternities
1
a
: 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

2 of 2

adjective

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

Did you know?

Maternity and Parts of Speech

Maternity is used as both a noun and an adjective. Maternity benefits are benefits specially provided by employers for women having babies, and usually include maternity leave, time off work. With maternity come maternal feelings, which are shown by all species of warm-blooded animals as well as a few reptiles such as crocodiles and alligators.

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
Yet refusing to buy into the cult of maternity are Italian women themselves, who are having fewer children — with some eschewing motherhood altogether. Alessandra Migliaccio, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 After a quick pre-partum feast at a fancy restaurant — where Dawn has Eden looking up her skirt to check dilation every 30 seconds — the duo make a beeline for the maternity ward. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 At the crux of the debate on House Bill 1426, though, is an amendment added during a House committee at the start of the session that specified only subdermal implants need to be stocked in maternity wards. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Our tester also loved that these are side-panel maternity jeans. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 4 Mar. 2024 During their migration from the Bering Sea to Baja California, these lagoons serve as crucial havens and winter maternity wards. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 In 2011, Disney representatives visited new mothers in 580 maternity wards across the US, gifting them bodysuits and asking them to sign up for DisneyBaby.com. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 24 Feb. 2024 This lack of accessible maternity care creates stress for mothers who must travel long distances and increases the risk that health complications go untreated, according to the evidence review. Mira Cheng, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 They can be worn during both maternity and postpartum periods. Nikita Charuza, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024
Adjective
With a Le Tote Maternity membership, subscribers can choose from both maternity and non-maternity rental styles. Stacey Nguyen, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2023 Here’s a taste of her maternity style—which is pretty much the same as her non-maternity style. Whitney Perry, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2020 Handbooks often include baby announcements, guidance mid and post-maternity leave communication, a comprehensive list of return-to-work options, mother’s rooms, and additional benefits and resources available. Christine Michel Carter, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023 Rather, the pregnant singer pulled another sensational non-maternity look out of the bag for a Fenty Beauty launch in LA. Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2022 There are plenty of non-maternity options in flowy silhouettes that work just as well. Vogue, 1 Oct. 2021 Some of the young and their mothers continue to follow the trail of blooms to a post-maternity cave in the southwestern corner of New Mexico. Janet Marinelli, Wired, 19 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maternity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of maternity was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near maternity

Cite this Entry

“Maternity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maternity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

maternity

1 of 2 noun
ma·​ter·​ni·​ty mə-ˈtər-nət-ē How to pronounce maternity (audio)
plural maternities
1
: the state of being a mother : motherhood
2
: motherly character or qualities : motherliness

maternity

2 of 2 adjective
1
: designed for wear during pregnancy
maternity clothes
2
: effective for the time around childbirth
maternity leave

Medical Definition

maternity

1 of 2 noun
ma·​ter·​ni·​ty mə-ˈtər-nət-ē How to pronounce maternity (audio)
plural maternities
: a hospital facility designed for the care of women before and during childbirth and for the care of newborn babies

maternity

2 of 2 adjective
1
: being or providing care during and immediately before and after childbirth
maternity care
a maternity unit
2
: designed for wear during pregnancy
maternity clothes
3
: effective for the period close to and including childbirth
maternity leave

More from Merriam-Webster on maternity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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