Synonyms

morning-after pill

American

[mawr-ning-af-ter pil] / ˈmɔr nɪŋˈæf tər ˌpɪl /

Or morning after pill

noun

Pharmacology.

an emergency contraceptive pill used to prevent pregnancy after sexual intercourse, typically by delaying ovulation, preventing fertilization, or preventing a fertilized egg from being implanted in the uterus.

morning-after pill British

noun

an oral contraceptive that is effective if taken some hours after intercourse

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

morning-after pills

plural

Etymology

Origin of morning-after pill

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

See Examples For:

morning-after pill

And the deal includes a plan – announced on Sunday – to enable women to get the morning-after pill for free from pharmacies.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2025

The morning-after pill, which prevents pregnancy, is currently available only by prescription.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2024

It’s stocked with ibuprofen, pregnancy tests and the morning-after pill.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 1, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is drafting recommendations for using it as a kind of morning-after pill for preventing STDs, said Dr. Leandro Mena, director of the agency’s STD prevention division.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2023

Honduras, a largely Catholic Central American country, banned the use of the morning-after pill following a coup in 2009 that ousted Xiomara Castro's husband, then-President Manuel Zelaya.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2023

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