pregnant
1 Americanadjective
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having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.
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fraught, filled, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).
a silence pregnant with suspense.
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teeming or fertile; rich (often followed byin ).
a mind pregnant in ideas.
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full of meaning; highly significant.
a pregnant utterance.
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of great importance or potential; momentous.
a pregnant moment in the history of the world.
adjective
adjective
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carrying a fetus or fetuses within the womb
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full of meaning or significance
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inventive or imaginative
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prolific or fruitful
Other Word Forms
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. Cf. print
Explanation
If you are pregnant, you are carrying a developing baby in your body. If you are pregnant it is important to take excellent care of your health — it's good for tyou and good for the baby. Pregnant comes from Latin, and literally means "before giving birth" — prae-, like pre- means "before" and gnasci is a root that means "be born." Pregnant can also mean "filled with something," like inspiration or "rich in significance or implication," like your pregnant pause before answering your friend's question, "You like my new boyfriend, don't you?"
Vocabulary lists containing pregnant
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
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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.
To investigate how inflammation affects fetal development, Cheadle and his colleagues triggered an immune response in pregnant mice at different stages of pregnancy.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
On his show, Ranganathan also asked fellow finalist, Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, about taking part in challenges while pregnant.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
In New York, for example, she engaged high-profile feminists in the grape boycott, highlighting the horrendous working conditions of mothers and pregnant women during harvests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Authorities determined that Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video and lied under oath claiming she was pregnant, according to a statement from prosecutors at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
There’s a pregnant pause as he waits for the rest.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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