pregnant
1 Americanadjective
-
having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.
-
fraught, filled, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).
a silence pregnant with suspense.
-
teeming or fertile; rich (often followed byin ).
a mind pregnant in ideas.
-
full of meaning; highly significant.
a pregnant utterance.
-
of great importance or potential; momentous.
a pregnant moment in the history of the world.
adjective
adjective
-
carrying a fetus or fetuses within the womb
-
full of meaning or significance
-
inventive or imaginative
-
prolific or fruitful
Other Word Forms
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. Cf. print
Explanation
If you are pregnant, you are carrying a developing baby in your body. If you are pregnant it is important to take excellent care of your health — it's good for tyou and good for the baby. Pregnant comes from Latin, and literally means "before giving birth" — prae-, like pre- means "before" and gnasci is a root that means "be born." Pregnant can also mean "filled with something," like inspiration or "rich in significance or implication," like your pregnant pause before answering your friend's question, "You like my new boyfriend, don't you?"
Vocabulary lists containing pregnant
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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 22-year-old from eastern Ukraine is a surrogate, pregnant with an embryo from a Chinese couple's egg and sperm.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
One of the bodies, that of a pregnant woman, was found just 10 feet away from where their probes suggested human remains lay as they worked with Homeland Security Investigations, according to Nelligan.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
I was five months pregnant, and my only health concern was if I might experience seasickness for the first time in my life.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
They said there is no evidence the girlfriend was ever pregnant, and they declined to comment on the allegation that Dr. Abbas used his estranged wife’s identity.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
At first he thought he was looking at some kind of pregnant sea snake or a constipated eel.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
