maternity

noun ma·ter·ni·ty \ mə-ˈtər-nə-tē \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of maternity

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

See maternity defined for English-language learners

See maternity defined for kids

Examples of maternity in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of maternity from the Web

It's widely thought that Middleton is now on maternity leave, following her appearance at the Easter service.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Charlotte Will Make Royal History When Her New Sibling Arrives," 8 Apr. 2018
William and Kate Step Out for Easter Church Services Meanwhile, having wrapped the final official engagement of her third pregnancy, Kate is officially on maternity leave and getting ready for a whole new chapter.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Princess Charlotte Will Make History When Her New Royal Sibling Arrives," 7 Apr. 2018
It's widely thought that Middleton is now on maternity leave, following her surprise appearance at the Easter service with Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday.

— amy mackelden, Marie Claire, "Pregnant Kate Middleton Went Grocery Shopping Solo, and Snapped Up the Bargains," 4 Apr. 2018
Services provided by the clinic include pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, peer counseling, prenatal classes, baby and maternity clothes, as well as other supplies.

— Ramona Sentinel, "Walk for Life 2018 benefits pregnancy care clinic," 4 Apr. 2018
There’s a track record of women playing themselves back into shape after a maternity leave.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: What's Causing Novak Djokovic's Downturn and When Will He Return to Form?," 28 Mar. 2018
Another 89 percent said Governor Bruce Rauner should preserve Affordable Care Act benefits like pediatric services and maternity care, and do outreach to encourage residents to sign up for health insurance.

— jacqueline serrato, Hoy, "Chicagoans have spoken: they want rent control, legal weed, and gun restrictions," 22 Mar. 2018
Camilleri previously filled in for Coates last year when the latter was on maternity leave.

— casey newton, The Verge, "Twitter’s chief information security officer is leaving the company," 21 Mar. 2018
When only maternity leave was offered, chances decreased.

— emily bamforth, cleveland.com, "On International Women's Day, here's how to fast-track female employees to success," 8 Mar. 2018

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.

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.

First Known Use of maternity

1611

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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maternity Synonyms

Synonyms

motherliness;

Related Words

nurturance;

fertility, fruitfulness;

maternity

adjective

Definition of maternity

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

See maternity defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of maternity from the Web

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

First Known Use of maternity

1852

in the meaning defined at sense 2

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MATERNITY Defined for English Language Learners

maternity

noun

Definition of maternity for English Language Learners

: the state of being a mother

maternity

adjective

Definition of maternity for English Language Learners

: designed to be worn by a woman who is pregnant
: relating to the time when a woman gives birth to a baby
—used to refer to an area in a hospital where women who are giving birth to babies are cared for

MATERNITY Defined for Kids

maternity

noun ma·ter·ni·ty \ mə-ˈtər-nə-tē \

Definition of maternity for Students

: the state of being a mother

Word Root of maternity

The Latin word mater, meaning “mother,” gives us the root mater or matr. Anyone or anything maternal, such as a grandparent, is related through the mother's side of the family. Maternity is the state of being a mother. A matriarch is a woman who is the mother and head of a family. A matron is a married woman who may be a mother.