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.
The extreme-pressure and sacrifice that motherhood can involve is put under the spotlight in the film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which is up for an Oscar tomorrow night.
From BBC
"I'd buy disposables and in the early days we'd get through 25 a day," continues Green, who lives in Broadstairs in Kent and runs an online community focused on motherhood issue.
From BBC
At Hafan yr Afon, Catherine spent time with members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women who are experiencing mental health problems linked to early motherhood.
From BBC
Where some see a black comedy, others see horror and/or a bleak exploration of the pressures of motherhood — an increasingly popular subgenre referred to by some as “mum noir.”
From Los Angeles Times
In the book, subtitled “Love, Loss, and a Really Long Walk,” the author intersperses dispatches from her trip with harrowing personal reflections on marriage, motherhood and the self.
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.
