motherhood
Americannoun
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the state of being a mother; maternity.
-
the qualities or spirit of a mother.
-
mothers collectively.
adjective
noun
-
the state of being a mother
-
the qualities characteristic of a mother
Usage
What does motherhood mean? Motherhood is the state of being a mother.A person enters motherhood when they become a mother. This most commonly happens when their child is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by marrying or becoming a partner to someone with children.Motherhood is a gender-specific version of the term parenthood.Less commonly, motherhood can refer to all mothers collectively, as in You won’t find a better mom in all of motherhood. Example: People who have not experienced motherhood probably shouldn’t be so quick to criticize how moms parent their children.
Etymology
Origin of motherhood
First recorded in 1375–1425; from the late Middle English word moderhed. See mother 1, -hood
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.
She gave birth to a son, but she said she wasn’t cut out for motherhood.
The co-stars discuss their twisty thriller on Peacock that takes its depiction of motherhood — and the blame women place on themselves when something goes awry — very seriously.
From Los Angeles Times
Life-altering in the sincerest sense of the word, “The Mother Lode” comedically chronicles Rosebud Baker’s journey into motherhood, in real time.
From Los Angeles Times
She said she had tried to get the "Keeping you moving through menstruation, motherhood and menopause" line trademarked but was unable to do so, and said she knew that legally she had little recourse.
From BBC
For Nora, proximity to her “most dearly held, most fiercely hidden, heart’s desires: life, art, motherhood, love”—in short, what Sirena has—is tantamount to having it herself.
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.
