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• nativity
  nativity

  noun

  birth.
• Nativity
  Nativity

  noun

  the birth of Jesus Christ

nativity

American  

[nuh-tiv-i-tee, ney-] / nəˈtɪv ɪ ti, neɪ- /

noun

plural

nativities

1. birth.

2. birth with reference to place or attendant circumstances.

   of Irish nativity.

3. (initial capital letter) the birth of Christ.

4. (initial capital letter) the church festival commemorating the birth of Christ; Christmas.

5. (initial capital letter) a representation of the birth of Christ, as in art.

6. Astrology. a horoscope of a person's birth.

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nativity ¹ British  

/ nəˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. birth or origin, esp in relation to the circumstances surrounding it

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Nativity ² British  

/ nəˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. the birth of Jesus Christ

2. the feast of Christmas as a commemoration of this

3. 1. an artistic representation of the circumstances of the birth of Christ

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Nativity play

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Nativity Cultural  

1. The birth of Jesus, described in two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke). When Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted in a government census, they found that there was no room for them in the local inn. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a common stable and laid him in a manger (a feeding trough for livestock). Christians (see also Christian) believe that Jesus' birth fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies and was attended by miraculous events, such as a star above Bethlehem that drew local shepherds as well as the Wise Men, or Magi, from a distant land.

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Usage

What does nativity mean? Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus, the central figure of the religion of Christianity. Christians celebrate the Nativity during Christmas, and the word is sometimes used as another name for Christmas. Nativity can also be used to refer to an artistic depiction of the birth of Jesus, such as in a play (also called a Nativity play) or a scene involving statues of the figures at the birth (also called a Nativity scene). In all of these uses, the word is usually capitalized. The word nativity is also used in some more general ways, though they are less common. It can simply mean a birth, especially in relation to the circumstances of it. It can also be used to refer to a person’s birthplace, as in Zoe often mentions her Greek nativity. More specifically, in the context of astrology, one’s nativity is the horoscope of their birth. Example: Every year at Christmas we create a live Nativity in our front yard, with our dog playing the part of a sheep.

Discover More

The Nativity is celebrated at Christmas. We date our present historical era from the birth of Jesus, referring to the years before his birth as b.c. (before Christ) and the years after his birth as a.d. (anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of the Lord”).

Etymology

Origin of nativity

before 1150; Middle English nativite < Middle French < Late Latin nātīvitāt- (stem of nātīvitās; see native, -ity); replacing late Old English nativiteth < Old French nativited < Late Latin, as above

Explanation

Nativity is a fancy way to say "birth." If you were born in Baltimore, you can say that's the location of your nativity. Being born is a person's nativity, but the noun is most frequently used when Christians talk specifically about the birth of Jesus Christ. If a new mother says, "My baby's nativity was beautiful!" people might not know what she means. Nativity comes from the French word nativité, which also means "birth." The Latin root word is nativus, "born or native."

Example Sentences

The question, as usual, is whether people are too busy celebrating the story of the nativity to make room at the inn.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

Geyer, who identifies as a practising Catholic, insisted that the idea of breaking with tradition was "far from our minds" when fashioning the nativity.

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

Neha Vermani, a historian of South Asia, talks about a painting made by Mughal court artists which featured emperor Jahangir in the nativity scene, which traditionally feature Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2024

Instead of having a candy-filled calendar, some Latino families will create an extended nativity scene at the beginning of Advent with the wise men placed far away in the room, González-Andrieu said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2024

Christmas Eve, along with the rest of the de la Torre children, I was taken to the National Cathedral for the nativity pageant where the new creche was to be unveiled.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• beginning
• childbirth
• creation
• delivery