miscarriage

American  

[mis-kar-ij, mis-kar-ij] / mɪsˈkær ɪdʒ, ˈmɪsˌkær ɪdʒ /

noun

1. the expulsion of a fetus before it is viable, especially between the third and seventh months of pregnancy; spontaneous abortion.

2. failure to attain the just, right, or desired result.

   a miscarriage of justice.

3. failure of something sent, as a letter, to reach its destination.

4. Chiefly British. transportation of goods not in accordance with the contract of shipment.

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miscarriage British  

/ mɪsˈkærɪdʒ /

noun

1. spontaneous expulsion of a fetus from the womb, esp prior to the 20th week of pregnancy

2. an act of mismanagement or failure

   a miscarriage of justice

3. the failure of freight to reach its destination

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miscarriage Scientific  

/ mĭs′kăr′ĭj /

1. The premature, spontaneous expulsion of the products of pregnancy from the uterus, usually in the first trimester.

2. Also called spontaneous abortion

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miscarriage Cultural  

1. A spontaneous and premature expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus before it is capable of surviving on its own.

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Discover More

Generally, a miscarriage is a failure to achieve a desired end, as in a miscarriage of justice.

Etymology

Origin of miscarriage

First recorded in 1605–15; mis- ¹ + carriage

Explanation

A miscarriage, in medical terms, is the birth of a fetus before it's able to live independently of its mother. In other words, a miscarriage is the abrupt, early end of a pregnancy. The medical sense of miscarriage, which usually describes the very early loss of a pregnancy (later losses are often called stillbirths), is actually among the newer uses of the word. In the sixteenth century, a miscarriage was almost always a "mistake or error" or sometimes "misbehavior." Today, when something doesn't go the way it was supposed to, you might call it a miscarriage.

Example Sentences

However, Kathryn said she tried everything to stop "intrusive" adverts but updating her settings or clicking on mark as spam buttons did not prevent baby adverts popping up on her feeds weeks after a miscarriage.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Emma's case dates back almost 40 years to when she phoned her GP concerned she was having a miscarriage.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

The researchers looked at data between 2018 and 2024 of more than 123,000 individuals who experienced a miscarriage before 10 weeks of pregnancy.

From Salon • May 26, 2026

Less than three months into her pregnancy, Debbie had a miscarriage, the first of three.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Showed improvement as a result of medication, relapsed after second miscarriage.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• abortion
• mishap