stillborn

adjective

still·​born ˈstil-ˈbȯrn How to pronounce stillborn (audio)
Synonyms of stillbornnext
1
: dead at birth
2
: failing from the start : abortive, unsuccessful
a stillborn venture
stillborn noun

Examples of stillborn in a Sentence

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.
Only around 2 percent of births in seventeenth-century England were stillborn due to obstruction. Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 As a writer for Nylon explained in 2018, Arabella is the same name as John and Jacqueline Kennedy’s first daughter, who was stillborn. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 The theatrical equivalent of the images ChatGPT and its competitors spit out, soulless and inert, arriving on stage stillborn? Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 26 May 2026 Pandora's death occurred two-and-a-half years after Louise had a stillborn baby boy, Cruze Vinnie, at 29 weeks in September 2023. Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for stillborn

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stillborn was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Stillborn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stillborn. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

stillborn

adjective
still·​born -ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce stillborn (audio)
: dead at birth

Medical Definition

stillborn

adjective
still·​born -ˈbȯ(ə)rn How to pronounce stillborn (audio)
: dead at birth compare live-born
stillborn noun

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