pregnant

¹

[ preg-nuhnt ]

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 by with ):

   a silence pregnant with suspense.

3. teeming or fertile; rich (often followed by in ):

   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.

pregnant

²

[ preg-nuhnt ]

adjective

, Archaic.

1. convincing; cogent:

   a pregnant argument.

pregnant

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈpregnantly, adverb

Other Words From

• pregnant·ly adverb
• pregnant·ness noun

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pregnant¹

C16: from Latin praegnāns with child, from prae before + ( g ) nascī to be born

Example Sentences

Although cancer is rare in pregnant people, who are typically young, the new research focused on those who’d gotten an unusual result from a specific type of fetal screening.

From Science Magazine

“The right-wing extremists continue to wage attack after attack on our bodily autonomy at the expense of the health or life of pregnant persons.”

From Los Angeles Times

The reviewers were particularly concerned with the compound’s potential to harm pregnant women and children, as well as its effect on the pituitary gland.

From Los Angeles Times

The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends pregnant women and pregnant individuals get the flu vaccine, as they are at high risk of severe illness and complications like preterm birth.

From Science Daily

Four Vietnamese women and a further seven Filipino women were also caught, but were not pregnant so have been deported, Bun Eng said.

From BBC

Related Words

• rich