birthrate

[ burth-reyt ]

/ ˈbɜrθˌreɪt /

Save This Word!

noun

the proportion of births to the total population in a place in a given time, usually expressed as a quantity per 1000 of population.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of birthrate

First recorded in 1855–60; birth + rate¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use birthrate in a sentence

The upward trend in the birth rate for unmarried mothers has reversed—dropping 14 percent, according to a new CDC report.
Unwed Women in the United States Are Having Fewer Babies|Brandy Zadrozny|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The birth rate to unmarried mothers has, with a few pauses, steadily climbed since the 1940s.
Unwed Women in the United States Are Having Fewer Babies|Brandy Zadrozny|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Japan is wrestling with a declining birth rate and growing elderly population.
Japanese Parliament to Women: Breed, Don't Lead|Jake Adelstein, Angela Erika Kubo|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like the rest of Asia, South Korea is experiencing a falling birth rate and shrinking population.
Smoke Rings, Mystery Backpacks and Gun-Toting Robots: The Weird Wartech of the Korean Conflict|Kyle Mizokami|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“We are reaching a point where deaths from poaching and natural mortality are overtaking the birth rate,” Cathy Dean said.
Borana Joins the Fight to Save Kenya’s Rhinos…and Wants You to Help Too|Joanna Eede|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A declining birth rate may be redeemed by a declining death rate and the superior progeny of mature marriage.
The Women of Tomorrow|William Hard
As things are now, with our vanishing birth rate, we can't afford to lose people in a war.
The Double Spy|Dan T. Moore
But the perseverance of the white man and the declining birth-rate of the Indian tribes began to create a new situation.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence
Now the old problem of half-life is taking its toll, and we cant even hope to keep up with the birth rate any more.
They Also Serve|Donald E. Westlake
And it said that we New Englanders have the smallest birth rate in the civilized world except France, which is the same as ours.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow

British Dictionary definitions for birthrate

birth rate

noun

the ratio of live births in a specified area, group, etc, to the population of that area, etc, usually expressed per 1000 population per year

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

Scientific definitions for birthrate

birth rate

The ratio of total live births to total population in a specified community or area over a specified period of time. The birth rate is often expressed as the number of live births per 1,000 of the population per year.