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.

But officials stopped short of giving it the green light then, saying that making it more easily available would encourage irresponsible use of the "morning-after" pill.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

The "morning-after" pill is already available without prescription in more than 90 countries.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

Taking a common arthritis drug together with the morning-after pill Plan B could boost the contraceptive’s effectiveness, according to new research published Wednesday.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023

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

From Washington Times • Jul. 1, 2023

Until March, Honduras was the only country in the region that also banned emergency contraception, the so-called morning-after pill.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2023

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