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

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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
Across India, global financial firms are expanding maternity benefits to include perks rarely seen elsewhere, part of an effort to attract and retain female employees. BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2023 Right about when Time was preparing that giddy announcement, three women whose ovaries and uteruses were involved in passing down the madcap man-god’s genes were in the maternity ward of a hospital in Austin. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Kourtney Kardashian is back to showing off her edgy maternity style after her recent health scare. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Sep. 2023 In addition to candidly discussing her personal weight struggles on the podcast, Osbourne also delved into the topic of society's unattainable standards for maternity fashion and the transformative impact Rihanna's pregnancy has had on the industry. Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023 Finally, Joey wears Phoebe's maternity pants and declares them his Thanksgiving pants. House Beautiful, 7 Sep. 2023 In Tennessee, where one-third of counties are considered maternity care deserts, Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, a maternal-fetal specialist, decided to move to Colorado not long after the Dobbs ruling. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2023 These are an ideal option for any activity, whether that means travel days, long-distance runs, or maternity wear. Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2023 The universal maternity care payment is already too small, so there is no room left for breastfeeding and baby feeding support, which is a clinical specialty. Andrea Ippolito, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023
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 See More

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 26 Sep. 2023.

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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