stillbirth

noun

still·​birth ˈstil-ˌbərth How to pronounce stillbirth (audio)
-ˈbərth
: the birth of a dead fetus

Examples of stillbirth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While healthy people may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infections can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023 The mother survives the shooting and her child’s stillbirth. Qanta A. Ahmed, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023 Research shows as many as 1 in 4 stillbirths may be preventable. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2023 When a person is pregnant with multiples, an earlier delivery date decreases the risk of stillbirth or other complications. Nicole Harris, Parents, 10 Oct. 2023 Women living near the mines have experienced stillbirths and miscarriages at abhorrent rates and their children carry the physical legacy of the Cold War through developmental delays, chromosomal aberrations, and other birth defects. Time, 21 July 2023 Black women also are more than two times as likely to have a stillbirth as white women. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 7 Oct. 2023 Kim and other lawmakers lauded ProPublica’s reporting for bringing the stillbirth crisis to the forefront and revealing shortcomings in how the nation’s health care system was combating stillbirths. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 28 July 2023 The term is used to describe a child who is born or adopted into a family that has previously experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other type of neonatal death. Melissa Willets, Parents, 2 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stillbirth.' 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

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stillbirth was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near stillbirth

Cite this Entry

“Stillbirth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stillbirth. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

stillbirth

noun
still·​birth ˈstil-ˌbərth How to pronounce stillbirth (audio)
-ˈbərth
: the birth of a dead baby

Medical Definition

stillbirth

noun
: the birth of a dead fetus compare live birth

More from Merriam-Webster on stillbirth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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