birth 1 of 3

noun

ˈbərth How to pronounce birth (audio)
Definition of birthnext
1
as in nativity
the act or instance of being born almost from birth, he showed all the marks of future greatness

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Relevance
2
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended a man of noble birth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in beginning
the point at which something begins that 12-second flight by Orville Wright marked the birth of aviation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

birth

2 of 3

adjective

as in biological
being such by blood and not by adoption or marriage argued that the birth mother had not been informed of all of her options at the time of the adoption

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

birth

3 of 3

verb

chiefly dialect
as in to produce
to bring forth from the womb back in those days a woman her age would have birthed several children

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of birth
Noun
The birth of People’s Vision Zero Hale founded People’s Vision Zero shortly after and rallied fellow believers on Reddit and Instagram. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 For the most part, her sweeping narrative alternates in four movements between John, born into a musical family in Dublin, and Adelaide, who was orphaned soon after her birth in Pondicherry, French India, and brought up by her imperious grandmother. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The idea is that vaginal estrogen could help ease common post-birth concerns like swelling and soreness. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 15 Dec. 2025 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
Verb
None of that is necessarily unexpected for the formation of an FRB-birthing magnetar. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026 But recovering from a second knee injury in as many years offers time for reflection, including that highlight reel which birthed his legend almost 10 years ago. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for birth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birth
  1. nativity
  2. ancestry
  3. beginning
  4. biological
  5. produce
  6. parenting
  7. lineage
  8. inception
Noun
  • In the end the storybook house got its Christmas debut, with neighboring church bells, sheep, and a nativity scene for revelers.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cicero, originally from Scicli, suggests bookmarking the Church of San Bartolomeo’s Neapolitan nativity, or the curious Cristo con la gonnella.
    — Jenn Rice, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of nativity
Noun
  • Despite Africa’s central place in human origins and its extraordinary genetic diversity, people of African ancestry remain underrepresented in the genomic datasets used to understand disease, estimate health risks, and develop treatments.
    — Segun Fatumo, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Defense attorney Phil Barber said the findings could rule out certain individuals as contributors and may provide ancestry information, although the test cannot differentiate between men who share the same paternal ancestors.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestry
Noun
  • So, Ohtani kept trying to work his way back to the mound for weeks after receiving a lubricating Orthovisc injection in his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The October introduction marks the beginning of a broader evolution for Lune+Aster, with additional innovation planned across complexion, eye and lip categories through 2027.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Adjective
  • Furthermore, many conventional devices use brittle, rigid materials that cannot easily stretch or conform to irregular surfaces, limiting their suitability for soft robotics and seamless biological integration.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The study, led by researchers at the University of Nottingham and Tohoku University in Japan, examined wild Euhadra snails to understand the biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon, known as chirality.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of biological
Verb
  • The three colors are mixed in different combinations and ratios, producing 16 different shades.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, genes involved in the function of Jonathan's mitochondria -- which are structures inside cells that produce energy -- appeared similar to those from a 5-year-old tortoise named Hatchling.
    — KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of produce
Noun
  • Experts point to busier schedules, parenting demands, shrinking friendship networks and the appeal of at-home entertainment as some possible reasons for the decline.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The parenting conversation about teens and phones is moving past the stopwatch.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of parenting
Noun
  • Some ancestral lineages diverged roughly 21,000 years ago, according to the review.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Say Now joins an extensive lineage of British girl groups — from Spice Girls, Sugababes, and Girls Aloud to Little Mix and their more contemporary peers Flo.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of lineage
Noun
  • McKenzie went 17 for 28 with 295 yards and two inceptions for the Eagles (3-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Since their inception, smart glasses have struggled to erase their reputation as a privacy concern.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of inception

Phrases Containing birth

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birse
birth
birthday suit
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Cite this Entry

“Birth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birth. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about birth

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