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

Family planning benefits are offered to players who choose to focus on their careers during their prime competitive years, postponing children until their late 20s or early 30s.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2025

Family planning clinics and women in France welcomed the new measure, with some saying they hoped for even more coverage.

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2021

Family planning, studies continuously show, improves the lives of women and children, from better health outcomes to higher education rates.

From The Guardian • Jul. 8, 2020

Family planning education programs in other countries have had highly positive effects on limiting population growth rates and increasing standards of living.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

Family planning officers and village leaders stopped the young man on his way home from work and asked him where his wife was.

From BBC • May 4, 2016