baby boom

American  

noun

1. a period of sharp increase in the birthrate, as that in the U.S. following World War II.

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baby boom British  

noun

1. Also called (esp Brit): the bulge.  a sharp increase in the birth rate of a population, esp the one that occurred after World War II

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Etymology

Origin of baby boom

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The U.S. total fertility rate has been at or below the so-called replacement rate of 2.1 for around half a century, ever since the baby boom peaked around 1960.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

But you mustn't confuse the luckiness of some within the late baby boom, with the luckiness of the whole cohort.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

The aging of the baby boom generation is the main force driving this caregiving crisis: About 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

For the baby boom generation, those included the JFK assassination and the Vietnam War.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

It was the tail end of the baby boom in a heavily Catholic community, back when Catholics still listened to Rome on matters of birth control.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove