pregnant

¹ American  

[preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

adjective

1. having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.

2. fraught, filled, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).

   a silence pregnant with suspense.

3. teeming or fertile; rich (often followed byin ).

   a mind pregnant in ideas.

4. full of meaning; highly significant.

   a pregnant utterance.

5. of great importance or potential; momentous.

   a pregnant moment in the history of the world.

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pregnant ² American  

[preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

adjective

Archaic.

1. convincing; cogent.

   a pregnant argument.

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pregnant British  

/ ˈprɛɡnənt /

adjective

1. carrying a fetus or fetuses within the womb

2. full of meaning or significance

3. inventive or imaginative

4. prolific or fruitful

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Other Word Forms

• pregnantly adverb
• pregnantness noun

Etymology

Origin of pregnant¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praegnant- (stem of praegnāns ), variant of praegnās, equivalent to prae- pre- + *gnāt- (akin to ( g ) nātus born, gignere to bring into being) + -s nominative singular ending

Origin of pregnant²

1350–1400; Middle English preignant < Old French, present participle of preindre, earlier priembre to press ¹ < Latin premere. print

Example Sentences

He said the deputy, whom he did not name, was a father who is survived by a wife who is 4 months pregnant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The Church ran about 100 mother and baby homes across England where unmarried pregnant women would be sent, in effect, to hide them from society.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Within a couple of months, his wife was pregnant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Beyoncé was originally supposed to headline Coachella in 2017 but was pregnant, so Lady Gaga stepped in.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

There was a pregnant pause, so long Koffi began to sweat.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• rich