birth

1 of 3

noun

plural births
1
a
: the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent see also date of birth
b
: the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb
2
: a state resulting from being born especially at a particular time or place
a Southerner by birth
3
b
: high or noble birth
4
a
archaic : one that is born

birth

2 of 3

verb

birthed; birthing; births

transitive verb

1
chiefly dialectal : to bring forth
2
a
: to give rise to : originate
b
: to give birth to

intransitive verb

: to bring forth or be brought forth as a child or young

birth

3 of 3

adjective

: biological sense 3
his birth mother

Examples of birth in a Sentence

Noun He was present at the birth of his daughter. The hospital reported an increase in premature births. Please indicate your date of birth. the period from birth to adolescence a disease that is present at birth the birth of the solar system the birth of the blues We are witnessing the birth of a new era. Verb back in those days a woman her age would have birthed several children Adjective argued that the birth mother had not been informed of all of her options at the time of the adoption
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.
Noun
The sordid origin story of infidelity that explains Elphaba’s birth and dysfunctional family taints everything that follows. Armond White, National Review, 27 Nov. 2024 Studies have shown that homelessness increases the chances of health complications for the mother and the child, including premature birth and newborns requiring intensive care. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
Many of this generation’s most important social movements were birthed on Black Twitter, including #BlackLivesMatter, #OscarsSoWhite, #SayHerName and the #MeToo movement. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024 Thanks to our culture of empowering startups and inventors, Connecticut has birthed numerous history-making technologies, including the helicopter, anesthesia, and the polaroid camera. Jon Soderstrom, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
If self-paid, a birth doula can cost $1,200 to $4,000, depending on whether pre- and post-birth visits are included. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2024 The pregnancy announcement, the gender reveal, the baby shower, the pregnancy photo shoot, the birth photo shoot, the post-birth photo shoot, the sip-n-see. Shani Silver, refinery29.com, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for birth 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse byrth; akin to Old English beran

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1831, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near birth

Cite this Entry

“Birth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

birth

noun
ˈbərth
1
a
: the coming out of a new individual from the body of its parent
b
: the act or process of bringing forth young from the uterus
2
: descent sense 1, lineage
noble birth
3

Medical Definition

birth

1 of 3 noun
1
: the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent
2
: the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb

birth

2 of 3 transitive verb
: to give birth to
allowed to birth her child in her own wayNancy Robinson

intransitive verb

: to bring forth or be brought forth as a child or young
contend that birthing is a natural process, rather than a medical procedureKit Miniclier
the baby birthed breechJayne Anne Phillips

birth

3 of 3 adjective
: biological sense 3
spent years searching for his birth parents

More from Merriam-Webster on birth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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