prenatal

adjective pre·na·tal \ (ˌ)prē-ˈnā-tᵊl \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of prenatal

1 : occurring, existing, performed, or used before birth

prenatal care

a prenatal test

prenatal vitamins

2 : providing or receiving prenatal medical care

a prenatal clinic

prenatal patients

—

prenatally

play \(ˌ)prē-ˈnā-tᵊl-ē\ adverb

See prenatal defined for English-language learners

See prenatal defined for kids

Recent Examples of prenatal from the Web

Advocates, who included Republicans and Democrats, said the measure would help pregnant women gain access to prenatal care.

— daniela altimari, courant.com, "Malloy Expresses Reservations About Insurance Mandate For Pregnant Women," 1 June 2018
Early access to prenatal care was not spread evenly among all racial and ethnic groups, however.

— karen kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, "The US birthrate hits another record low; even women in their 30s are having fewer babies," 29 May 2018
Early access to prenatal care was not spread evenly among all racial and ethnic groups, however.

— karen kaplan, latimes.com, "The U.S. birthrate hits another record low. Even women in their 30s are having fewer babies," 17 May 2018
Midwives care for women with low-risk pregnancies and can cost much less than a doctor for prenatal care and delivery.

— anna douglas and john murawski, charlotteobserver, "Some NC moms drive an hour away to give birth. Are midwives the answer? | Charlotte Observer," 17 May 2018
Throughout her pregnancy, the special education teacher from Tinton Falls, New Jersey, was careful about her diet and prenatal care.

— NBC News, "Too many mothers are dying after childbirth. A hospital hopes to save them.," 13 May 2018
Federal standards mandate that methadone clinics require pregnant clients to receive prenatal care in order to get their medication.

— jennifer egan, New York Times, "Children of the Opioid Epidemic," 9 May 2018
Pregnant women in need of specialized prenatal care can now get free round-trip rides via Lyft to the UC Davis Children's Hospital, according to an announcement Tuesday.

— molly sullivan, sacbee, "Pregnant moms can get a free 'Lyft' | The Sacramento Bee," 1 May 2018
But everyday American women face even greater costs for giving birth at average U.S. hospitals—and don’t even receive better prenatal care or maternal services for their financial troubles.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "Kate Middleton's Royal Baby Birth Probably Cost Less Than Giving Birth in the U.S.," 24 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prenatal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of prenatal

1826

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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PRENATAL Defined for English Language Learners

prenatal

adjective

Definition of prenatal for English Language Learners

medical : relating to pregnant women and their unborn babies

Medical Dictionary

prenatal

adjective pre·na·tal \ -ˈnāt-ᵊl \

medical Definition of prenatal

1 : occurring, existing, performed, or used before birth

prenatal care

the prenatal period

prenatal testing

prenatal vitamins

2 : providing or receiving prenatal medical care

a prenatal clinic

a prenatal patient

— called also antenatal; compare intranatal, neonatal, postnatal

—

prenatally

play \-ē\ adverb

Learn More about prenatal

See words that rhyme with prenatal Spanish Central: Translation of prenatal Nglish: Translation of prenatal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prenatal for Arabic speakers

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prenatal

Definition of prenatal

prenatally

Recent Examples of prenatal from the Web

First Known Use of prenatal

PRENATAL Defined for English Language Learners

prenatal

Definition of prenatal for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

prenatal

medical Definition of prenatal

prenatally

Learn More about prenatal

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Definition of prenatal

prenatally

Recent Examples of prenatal from the Web

First Known Use of prenatal

PRENATAL Defined for English Language Learners

prenatal

Definition of prenatal for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

prenatal

medical Definition of prenatal

prenatally

Learn More about prenatal

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