maternal

adjective

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ma·ter·nal | \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl

Definition of maternal

1 : of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother : motherly maternal love maternal instincts

2a : related through a mother his maternal aunt

b : inherited or derived from the female parent maternal genes

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Examples of maternal in a Sentence

Doctors are concerned about the effects of the drug on maternal health. her maternal instincts told her that something was wrong

Recent Examples on the Web Since then, maternal mortality in the US has gotten worse. — Deidre Mcphillips, CNN, 19 Sep. 2022 Researchers who are trying to track how violence plays a role in maternal mortality find themselves in a bind. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 11 Sep. 2022 The Black maternal mortality rate was 2.9 times the rate for white people in 2020, according to the CDC. — Stephanie Ebbert, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022 Kentucky is ranked the worst state in the U.S. for maternal mortality, which disproportionately affects Black and rural women; nationally, Black women are already three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women are. — Chiara Brown, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2022 Medicaid program used a report on maternal mortality to press lawmakers to do so. — New York Times, 18 Aug. 2022 This impacts all women, but especially those who are not in a place of privilege. Consider the fact that the U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality compared to other developed nations because of complications from childbirth and pregnancy. — Sue Manber, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Serena Ventures, launched in 2014, joined investor Mark Cuban and others in a funding round for Mahmee, a startup focused on ending the maternal mortality crisis impacting Black women. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2022 Louisiana exceeds the national average for maternal mortality, ranking 47th in the nation, according to the state Health Department. — Julie Tsirkin, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2022 See More

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