family planning

American  

noun

1. the concept or a program of limiting the size of families through the spacing or prevention of pregnancies, especially for economic reasons.

2. (loosely) birth control.

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family planning British  

noun

1. the control of the number of children in a family and of the intervals between them, esp by the use of contraceptives See also birth control

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family planning Cultural  

1. The use of education and birth control to limit the number of offspring and the population of a country. (See population control and Margaret Sanger.)

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Etymology

Origin of family planning

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

“It’s the entire family planning budget that has gone,” she said.

From Salon

Underpinning the boom, experts say, is a shift in attitudes about family planning.

From BBC

Vaccines are still listed on the CDC website as one of the great public health achievements of the last century, alongside family planning and tobacco control.

From BBC

Coverage of the family planning drive was tightly controlled - no "adverse comments or editorials" were permitted.

From BBC

But in no time at all, Big Bear’s only year-round eagle pair will be family planning again.

From Los Angeles Times