momma
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does momma mean? Momma is an informal word for mother. Momma is also commonly spelled mama. Less commonly, it can be spelled mamma. Momma is informal, and it’s often used by young children, much like the word mommy. Adults also sometimes use momma to refer to their mothers, especially when they have a close relationship. The word can be used as a title for one’s mother, as in You should call Momma, and as a way to address her, as in Hi, Momma—happy Mother’s Day! In these two uses, the word is usually capitalized since it’s used like a proper name. Momma can also be used as an informal way to refer to one’s mother, as in You should call your momma. Call your momma whatever you want—just remember to call her.
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.
"My momma had a stroke so I've spent the past couple weeks lookin after her."
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
“Thankfully, long before, momma left I learned to embrace them and their legacy full on,” he wrote at the time.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025
Aside from that one bit of action, momma was the hero here.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2025
The very next line he raps of his father: “His momma died, I asked him why he goin’ back to work so soon?/His first reply was, ‘Son, that’s life, the bills got no silver spoon.’
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2022
Most nights I asked the same questions over and over: What did I do to make my momma leave me?
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
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.
