nurse-midwife

noun

nurse-mid·​wife ˈnərs-ˈmid-ˌwīf 

: a registered nurse with additional training as a midwife who delivers infants and provides prenatal and postpartum care, newborn care, and some routine care (such as gynecological exams) of women

nurse-midwifery

ˈnərs-ˌmid-ˈwi-f(ə-)rē  -ˈwī- 

-ˈmid-ˌwī-

noun

Examples of nurse-midwife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More than a third of counties in the United States do not have an ob/gyn, a family physician or a certified nurse-midwife. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025

Certified nurse-midwives would be exempt from that requirement, but would be required to submit a plan for births outside a hospital. — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Midwives and certified nurse-midwives are also worth considering for low-risk patients who want more time and a more relational style of care. — Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026

Initially, three teenage boys worked as volunteer transport helpers, caring for FNS’s horses and running errands for the nurse-midwives. — Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nurse-midwife

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife

Medical Definition

nurse-midwife

noun

plural nurse-midwives

: a registered nurse with additional training as a midwife who is certified to deliver infants and provide prenatal and postpartum care, newborn care, and some routine care (as gynecological exams) of women