pregnancy
Americannoun
noun
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the state or condition of being pregnant
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the period from conception to childbirth
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The condition of carrying developing offspring within the body.
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The time period during which this condition exists; gestation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of pregnancy
First recorded in 1520–30; pregn(ant) 1 + -ancy
Explanation
Pregnancy is the state of being pregnant, the time a woman grows a baby in her belly. For humans, pregnancy lasts about nine months, during which time the mother might want a chocolate chip and pickle sandwich. Get her one. Before a mother bear gives birth to a cub, or a mother cat has kittens, she goes through pregnancy. In humans, pregnancy is a time to prepare for a new baby while the mother-to-be does things like take special vitamins and choose a doctor or midwife to assist with the upcoming birth. Bears and cats just go for it. Pregnancy comes from the Latin praegnans, "with child" or "before birth," from prae-, "before," and gnasci, "be born."
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.
Anali Moran was already a mom to five children when, at age 44, she lost a pregnancy at 36 weeks in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife, Ashley, shared that they terminated their pregnancy following a Down syndrome diagnosis.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Hague has also been open with her fans about her struggles with pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, describing having her first child as challenging at times.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Might it instead require more support for women during pregnancy?
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
I’ve built the image in my mind of Cathy, sitting quietly waiting for her pregnancy to be over, living on a farm she did not like, with a man she did not love.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
