pregnancy
Americannoun
plural
pregnanciesnoun
-
the state or condition of being pregnant
-
the period from conception to childbirth
-
The condition of carrying developing offspring within the body.
-
The time period during which this condition exists; gestation.
Other Word Forms
- postpregnancy adjective
Etymology
Origin of pregnancy
First recorded in 1520–30; pregn(ant) 1 + -ancy
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.
After finding out about his condition, he had surgery to treat it and became hyper-focused on taking lukewarm showers, minimizing cardio and taking supplements, but the changes didn’t result in a pregnancy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
It also poses a serious risk during pregnancy.
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026
Now, they are sharing their next chapter - pregnancy and parenthood - in a new three-part documentary.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Steinfeld flaunted her pregnancy during the awards circuit earlier this year, cradling her baby bump at the red carpet for the Golden Globe Awards.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Mom had to stay in bed for the last two months of the pregnancy.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
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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.