pregnant

¹ American  

[preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

adjective

1. having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.

2. fraught, filled, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).

   a silence pregnant with suspense.

3. teeming or fertile; rich (often followed byin ).

   a mind pregnant in ideas.

4. full of meaning; highly significant.

   a pregnant utterance.

5. of great importance or potential; momentous.

   a pregnant moment in the history of the world.

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pregnant ² American  

[preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

adjective

Archaic.

1. convincing; cogent.

   a pregnant argument.

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pregnant British  

/ ˈprɛɡnənt /

adjective

1. carrying a fetus or fetuses within the womb

2. full of meaning or significance

3. inventive or imaginative

4. prolific or fruitful

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Other Word Forms

• pregnantly adverb
• pregnantness noun

Etymology

Origin of pregnant¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praegnant- (stem of praegnāns ), variant of praegnās, equivalent to prae- pre- + *gnāt- (akin to ( g ) nātus born, gignere to bring into being) + -s nominative singular ending

Origin of pregnant²

1350–1400; Middle English preignant < Old French, present participle of preindre, earlier priembre to press ¹ < Latin premere. print

Example Sentences

During her recovery, Meatball became pregnant but due to her ill health, her cubs did not survive.

From BBC

Ferris, who was 33 weeks pregnant with their first child, had been given the all clear for the trip and flight by her midwife and GP.

From BBC

Detained alongside her are pregnant women and those with terminal cancer and severe disabilities, said Travis Fife, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, a statewide advocacy group.

From Salon

Now pregnant athletes have health insurance coverage for up to a year after the birth of a child.

From Salon

The number of pregnant patients the clinic sees has dropped by half since the start of the all-out war.

From BBC

Related Words

• rich