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Synonyms

birth control

American  
[burth kuhn-trohl] / ˈbɜrθ kənˌtroʊl /

noun

  1. regulation of the number of children born through the deliberate control or prevention of conception.

    She campaigned and went to prison for the right of women to practice birth control.

  2. a drug, technique, or device used to deliberately control or prevent conception (often used attributively).

    Diaphragms were a common form of birth control long before the invention of contraceptive pills.

    Vasectomies are growing in frequency as a birth control method in many countries.
birth control British  

noun

  1. limitation of child-bearing by means of contraception See also family planning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
birth control Scientific  

  1. Planned interference with conception in order to control the number of offspring born. Birth control techniques include drugs containing hormones, the diaphragm, and the intrauterine device.

birth control Cultural  

  1. The practice of preventing conception to limit the number of births. (See contraception, family planning, population control, and Margaret Sanger.)

Other Word Forms

  • probirth-control adjective

Etymology

Origin of birth control

First recorded in 1905–10; popularized in 1914 by Margaret Sanger ( def. )

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.

For example, during a 40-minute panel hosted by Alexis Joel, the wife of musician Billy Joel, several doctors raised concerns about how frequently hormonal birth control is used to treat women’s health symptoms.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

On Evie, a reader can scroll from “7 Iced Starbuck Dupes With a Fraction of the Calories” to meditations on the health risks of hormonal birth control and vaccines that skirt any of the benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

"This study measures reproductive monogamy rather than sexual behavior. In most mammals, mating and reproduction are tightly linked. In humans, birth control methods and cultural practices break that link."

From Science Daily • Jan. 22, 2026

For instance, a new 13% tax on contraceptives - including condoms, birth control pills and devices - has sparked concern about unwanted pregnancies and HIV rates.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

She inquired among her acquaintances as to who in Montclair might be sympathetic to the birth control movement.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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.