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.
Myriad other reasons have been posited, such as increased use of contraception, more female education, and growing housing or childcare costs.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
They can flag sleep apnea, predict illnesses—even act as contraception.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
In the 70-page document, there is no mention of contraception except once, where it’s mentioned within the context of “reducing overmedicalization in health care.”
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
The FDA approved the pill for contraception in 1960, although women had access to it for years through a regulatory workaround.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Others again, particularly the representatives of women's organizations, advocated the establishment of clinics for the general instruction of married women in the practice of reliable methods of contraception.
From Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Various Aspects of the Problem of Abortion in New Zealand by McMillan, D. G. (David Gervan)
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.
