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.
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 Hell, my mama flew an airplane during the Second World War. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 18 June 2025 Yes, first, happy birthday to my mama, who's back in San Antonio. / Cbs News, CBS News, 8 June 2025 Well trained by his loving mama, Miguel always held the door for me. Helen Schulman, The Atlantic, 26 June 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 14 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!