motherhood

[muhth-er-hood]

noun

1. the state of being a mother; maternity.

2. the qualities or spirit of a mother.

3. mothers collectively.

adjective

1. having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable.

   legislation pushed through on a motherhood basis.

motherhood

/ ˈmʌðəˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state of being a mother

2. the qualities characteristic of a mother

Word History and Origins

Origin of motherhood¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; from the late Middle English word moderhed. See mother ¹, -hood

Example Sentences

Just like motherhood, you can put all of your energy and effort into trying to improve something, only for it to change the second you take your eyes off it.

Read more on Salon

When Claire recently discovered she hadn't been invited to a social event, for example, she gently reached out and explained she would still love invites despite being busy with motherhood.

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But the big reason for Japanese hesitancy around epidurals is cultural, according to moms, midwives and doctors, with a “natural” birth without pain relief viewed by some as an essential rite of passage in motherhood.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By the time she went back to school, she was also juggling motherhood.

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In motherhood, the margin for error is airtight.

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Related Words

• parenthood 

When To Use

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.