maternity

American  

[muh-tur-ni-tee] / məˈtɜr nɪ ti /

noun

1. the state of being a mother; motherhood.

2. motherly quality; motherliness.

3. a section of a hospital devoted to the care of women at childbirth and of their newborn infants.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or for the period in which a woman is pregnant or has just given birth to a child.

2. for mothers during and after childbirth or for the care of their newborn babies.

   a maternity hospital.

3. for wear by pregnant women.

   maternity clothes.

maternity British  

/ məˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. motherhood

2. the characteristics associated with motherhood; motherliness

3. (modifier) relating to pregnant women or women at the time of childbirth

   a maternity ward

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Other Word Forms

• prematernity noun

Etymology

Origin of maternity

1605–15; < Medieval Latin māternitās, equivalent to Latin mātern ( us ) ( maternal ) + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Maternity services in England are failing "too many" families, with problems "at every stage" of the maternity journey, an interim report has found.

From BBC

It contains measures to tackle the recruitment and retention of teachers, for example, by improving maternity pay and introducing financial incentives for head teachers.

From BBC

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he takes the concerns of bereaved families "extremely seriously" after acknowledging trust had been "damaged" around a promised Leeds maternity care inquiry.

From BBC

Following the public outcry, Nike announced a new maternity policy for sponsored athletes.

From Salon

A joint BBC News/New Statesman investigation into maternity care at the trust has unearthed their stories.

From BBC