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Showing results for miscarriage. Search instead for miscarried.
Synonyms

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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

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.

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The most difficult section, “Gendered Dialogues,” delves into Kahlo’s sometimes androgynous appearance and, more poignantly, her boundary-breaking works about her body and the pains of childbirth and miscarriage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“It has been a challenge going from the scandal to relationship to miscarriage to arrest to being pregnant again,” she says as a sentimental melody lilts in the background.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

As relevant here, the statute prohibits lawsuits against the Postal Service “arising out of the loss, miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter.”

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

The 90-minute film does not claim to be exhaustive, but aims to offer the public the perspectives of both sides of a case that continues to prompt questions and accusations of a miscarriage of justice.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

A miscarriage is lonely, painful, and demoralizing almost on a cellular level.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.