contraception
Americannoun
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the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices; birth control.
Patients in this study must agree to practice contraception for the duration of their participation.
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a drug, technique, or device used to deliberately prevent conception or impregnation.
You can also request free contraception by undergoing a simple, secure online consultation.
Hormonal contraception, like any other medication, can interact with other drugs being taken.
noun
Etymology
Origin of contraception
First recorded in 1885–90; contra- 1 ( def. ) + (con)ception
Explanation
Contraception is birth control, to put it bluntly; the general term for the use of a number of devices or acts that prevent impregnation during intercourse. The word is formed by mashing together the Latin word contra, meaning "against" and a shortened form of the old French word concepcion, meaning "conception" — in other words: "against conception." Like so many scientific terms it was first coined in the nineteenth century, when the science of birth control was beginning to be seriously considered. Contraceptives — birth control devices — that had been around in cruder forms, began to be mass-produced and eventually socially accepted.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Contraception remains the primary course of treatment for women living with PMDD, but for women who wish to become pregnant this poses a dilemma.
From BBC • May 23, 2025
Dozens of universities across the country now carry emergency contraceptives in vending machines, according to the American Society for Emergency Contraception.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2023
As we mark World Contraception Day, we're closer than ever to breaking down barriers to contraception.
From Salon • Sep. 26, 2023
“This research is a huge leap—we’re really excited about it,” says Joyce Briggs, president of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs, a nonprofit that has been advocating for a nonsurgical contraceptive since 2000.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 6, 2023
Another ad from Americans for Contraception depicts two men sitting at a bar and contemplating a House bill that would codify the right to birth control.
From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
