Jump to:

• virgin birth
  virgin birth

  noun

  the doctrine or dogma that, by the miraculous agency of God, the birth of Christ did not impair or prejudice the virginity of Mary.
• Virgin Birth
  Virgin Birth

  noun

  the doctrine that Jesus Christ had no human father but was conceived solely by the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit so that Mary remained miraculously a virgin during and after his birth

virgin birth

American  

noun

1. Theology. the doctrine or dogma that, by the miraculous agency of God, the birth of Christ did not impair or prejudice the virginity of Mary.

2. Zoology. parthenogenesis; parturition by a female who has not copulated.

---

Virgin Birth ¹ British  

noun

1. the doctrine that Jesus Christ had no human father but was conceived solely by the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit so that Mary remained miraculously a virgin during and after his birth

---

virgin birth ² British  

noun

1. another name for parthenogenesis

---

Etymology

Origin of virgin birth

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

It's the first time scientists have recorded in an American crocodile successful parthenogenesis, which is asexual reproduction and Greek for "virgin birth."

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2023

This isn’t the first case of a virgin birth in the animal kingdom.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2023

Scientists discovered a virgin birth in a stillborn crocodile that had only its mother’s genetic material.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2023

The discovery of virgin birth in plants is widely credited to John Smith, a 19th century botanist who served as the inaugural curator at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

From Science Magazine • May 17, 2023

Matthew and Luke alone speak of the virgin birth.

From Carmen Ariza by Stocking, Charles Francis