childbirth

noun

ˈchī(-ə)l(d)-ˌbərth How to pronounce childbirth (audio)
Definition of childbirthnext
as in pregnancy
the act or process of giving birth to children women who choose to undergo childbirth without the use of anesthetics and other drugs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 childbirth Without affordable medical care or social welfare, people die of tooth decay and childbirth and exposure to the cold come winter. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 The human neurons suffered severe, selective damage, mimicking the cellular breakdown that causes cerebral palsy in human infants during difficult childbirths. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026 After all these years, Vachon still describes her job as akin to childbirth. — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026 Pelvic floor disorders happen when those muscles or tissues weaken or get injured, often through childbirth, obesity, age or genetics, the FDA says. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for childbirth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childbirth
  1. pregnancy
  2. childbearing
  3. delivery
  4. labor
  5. pains
  6. parturition
  7. contraction
Noun
  • Amid the surprises, the families also celebrated the joy of welcoming their babies, especially for Brady, who said the pregnancy came after two miscarriages.
    — Marlee Ginter, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Starting menstruation before 12, reaching menopause after 55, having a first pregnancy after 30 or never having been pregnant can also raise risk.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pregnancy
Noun
  • But Steinem lived to see the rise of a powerful backlash against her vision of feminism, with reproductive rights, motherhood, childbearing and gender roles once again at the center of the country's culture wars.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Not least because the hips—or rather, a wide pelvis—are considered a symbol of femininity, fertility, and childbearing capacity, both from a cultural-historical and an evolutionary-biology perspective.
    — Kelly Niesen, Glamour, 24 July 2026
Definition of childbearing
Noun
  • On October 2, 2018, Israel and Qatar, together with the United Nations, signed an agreement to finance fuel deliveries into Gaza.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The delivery robots have become a common sight on the streets of downtown Philadelphia and have sparked backlash.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of delivery
Noun
  • Council members would also have to waive the city’s 10-day public posting requirement for labor agreements — a move requiring a two-thirds vote.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The longtime community and labor organizer has been an outspoken progressive voice in the state legislature since she was elected in 2020.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • In the past, Fox News has taken pains to illustrate to its viewers how the election could tilt blue.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Symptoms usually begin within two weeks and can last nearly three weeks, including aches and pains, nausea and rashes.
    — Angie DiMichele, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of pains
Noun
  • This pattern spans over a decade, indicating a remarkable fidelity to the Ashburton River and its surrounding creeks as critical parturition sites.
    — Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
  • His mother paced the spacious birthing stall, working off the pains of parturition, with half the placenta, neatly tied up by an attending stable hand, still hanging out of her.
    — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 15 May 2021
Definition of parturition
Noun
  • Potassium supports fluid balance and muscle contraction and is part of an eating pattern associated with healthy blood pressure.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Flex your calves often Weight-bearing physical activity of any sort supports blood flow in the legs because of how muscular contractions help the veins push blood toward the heart, Jimenez said.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of contraction

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childbeds
childbirth
childbirths
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Cite this Entry

“Childbirth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childbirth. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about childbirth

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