midwife

American  

[mid-wahyf] / ˈmɪdˌwaɪf /

noun

plural

midwives

1. a person trained to assist women in childbirth.

2. a person or thing that produces or aids in producing something new or different.

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verb (used with object)

midwifed, midwived, midwifing, midwiving

1. to assist in the birth of (a baby).

2. to produce or aid in producing (something new).

   to midwife a new generation of computers.

midwife British  

/ ˈmɪdˌwaɪf /

noun

1. a person qualified to deliver babies and to care for women before, during, and after childbirth

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Etymology

Origin of midwife

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English midwif, from mid “with, accompanying” ( Old English; meta- ) + wif “woman” ( Old English wīf; wife )

Explanation

A midwife is someone whose job involves helping women give birth to babies. Some pregnant women get their prenatal care from a midwife, as well as delivering their babies with a midwife's help. There are different categories of midwives — lay midwives attend home births, and nurse midwives also assist birthing women at hospitals and birth centers. In either case, a midwife is trained to understand the process of birth and techniques to make it easier and safe for mothers and newborn babies. Midwife literally means "woman who is with," or "woman assisting," from the Middle English mid, "with," and wif, "woman."

Example Sentences

A senior midwife will lead an independent review into maternity services in Sussex, it has been confirmed.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

"She's beautiful," a midwife says, placing the newborn in her mother's arms for a first kiss.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Without a doubt, Goddard was the father of 20th-century rocketry, but Charles Lindbergh was the midwife.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

I'm a midwife who happens to be a man, but I'm also a midwife who happens to be Scottish, as opposed to Northern Irish.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Shortly after dawn, when the sky turned not rosy and welcoming as it does in summer but merely a lighter shade of gray, the midwife kicked her awake.

From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman

Related Words

• obstetrician