birth certificate

American  

noun

• birth certificates
  plural

1. an official form recording the birth of a baby and containing pertinent data, as name, sex, date, place, and parents.

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birth certificate British  

noun

1. an official form giving details of the time and place of a person's birth, and his or her name, sex, mother's name and (usually) father's name

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• birth certificates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of birth certificate

First recorded in 1895–1900

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

birth certificate

She delivered the baby and was listed as the mother on the birth certificate, even though she had no genetic connection to the child.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Since I'm not Sudanese, I have no birth certificate, so... I can't go there," she explained.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

“If your family is homeless and sleeping in your car, you’re not really focused on where’s my birth certificate, where’s my documentation.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

"Obviously, to get a passport you need your birth certificate," he explained.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

She gasped several times and shook her head in disbelief as my mother told her about our trials and tribulations in attempting to obtain my birth certificate.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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