pregnancy

[preg-nuhn-see]

noun

plural

pregnancies 

1. the state, condition, or quality of being pregnant.

pregnancy

/ ˈprɛɡnənsɪ /

noun

1. the state or condition of being pregnant

2. the period from conception to childbirth

pregnancy

1. The condition of carrying developing offspring within the body.

2. The time period during which this condition exists; gestation.

Other Word Forms

• postpregnancy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pregnancy¹

First recorded in 1520–30; pregn(ant) ¹ + -ancy

Example Sentences

"I am a huge advocate for not stigmatising or stereotyping birth mums. My biological mother was not given the support she needed to have a clean pregnancy."

Read more on BBC

Hayley sought support in online forums - but found herself confronted by adverts for, among other things, maternity wear, pregnancy pillows and pregnancy tracker apps.

Read more on BBC

Women say that unlike menstruation and pregnancy, guidance from doctors about menopause can be hard to come by, so they often struggle to find the source of their ailments.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While a few studies have suggested a possible association with acetaminophen in pregnancy, no causal link has ever been proven.

Read more on Barron's

“ADHD is not an all or nothing deal like pregnancy, with either you are pregnant or you’re not pregnant and there’s nothing in between,” Brown explained in the video.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal