motherhood

[muhth-er-hood]

noun

1. the state of being a mother; maternity.

2. the qualities or spirit of a mother.

3. mothers collectively.

adjective

1. having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable.

   legislation pushed through on a motherhood basis.

motherhood

/ ˈmʌðəˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state of being a mother

2. the qualities characteristic of a mother

Word History and Origins

Origin of motherhood¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; from the late Middle English word moderhed. See mother ¹, -hood

Example Sentences

“Anything dealing with motherhood and shame around motherhood, whether it’s disappointment, failure — she’s got this line in the movie, ‘I wasn’t meant to do this’ — these are pretty radical things to say,” Byrne explains.

From Los Angeles Times

She added "the vast majority" of the gender pay gap is linked to the motherhood penalty, which can be attributed to a number of factors, including:

From BBC

But it’s easy to see how the idea fits neatly into the right’s sexist vision of motherhood as a state of endless self-sacrifice.

From Salon

Motifs of motherhood shift in and out of view; are the tragedies actual or fever-fantasy?

From Los Angeles Times

How did your concept of motherhood change after caring for your mother?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• parenthood 

When To Use

What does motherhood mean?

Motherhood is the state of being a mother.A person enters motherhood when they become a mother. This most commonly happens when their child is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by marrying or becoming a partner to someone with children.Motherhood is a gender-specific version of the term parenthood.Less commonly, motherhood can refer to all mothers collectively, as in You won’t find a better mom in all of motherhood. Example: People who have not experienced motherhood probably shouldn’t be so quick to criticize how moms parent their children.