birth mother
noun
: the mother of a child when the child is born
specifically
: a woman who gave birth to a child who has been adopted
They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital. —
Emily Nussbaum
Emily Nussbaum Examples of birth mother in a Sentence
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Chronicling a Korean-American adoptee’s journey to Hong Kong to meet her birth mother for the first time, the film was produced by Ritz-Carlton and Hearst under the mentorship of Mike Figgis, and released in six languages worldwide.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Many birth mothers hope to maintain contact with their child.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The film follows a young Black woman named Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who wishes to connect to her white birth mother, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Much of the novel, which spans seven decades, follows Jimmy, who moves to Vienna as a young man to study and search for his birth mother.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for birth mother
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Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Many birth mothers hope to maintain contact with their child.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The film follows a young Black woman named Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who wishes to connect to her white birth mother, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn).
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Much of the novel, which spans seven decades, follows Jimmy, who moves to Vienna as a young man to study and search for his birth mother.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for birth mother
Cite this Entry
“Birth mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20mother. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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