midwife

1 of 2

noun

mid·​wife ˈmid-ˌwīf How to pronounce midwife (audio)
Synonyms of midwifenext
1
: a person who assists women in childbirth compare nurse-midwife
2
: one that helps to produce or bring forth something
… thou art the midwife to my woe …—William Shakespeare

midwife

2 of 2

verb

midwifed ˈmid-ˌwīft How to pronounce midwife (audio) or midwived ˈmid-ˌwīvd How to pronounce midwife (audio) ; midwifing ˈmid-ˌwī-fiŋ How to pronounce midwife (audio) or midwiving ˈmid-ˌwī-viŋ How to pronounce midwife (audio)

transitive verb

: to assist in producing, bringing forth, or bringing about
The month has midwifed all manner of creative genius …—Steve Rushin

Examples of midwife in a Sentence

Noun a trained and certified midwife
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Nurses eager to return to work Many of the more than 4,000 nurses, midwives and home health care workers who have been on strike disagree, voicing concern there is a level of care inherently absent. — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 12 July 2026 Taliban restrictions on movement, education and employment have limited women's access to care and threatened the future pipeline of female doctors, nurses and midwives. — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026
Verb
At that time, millions of Iraqis joined the protests and demanded the downfall of a corrupt political system midwifed by Beltway hawks and neoconservative ideologues, which has ended up beholden to the mullahs of Iran. — Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025 Nile smelled my bloodlust and midwifed that story into being. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 19 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for midwife

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English midwif, from mid with (from Old English) + wif woman

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of midwife was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing midwife

Rhymes for midwife

See All Rhymes for midwife

Browse Nearby Words

Midwesterner
midwife
midwife frog
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Midwife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midwife. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

midwife

noun
mid·​wife
ˈmid-ˌwīf
: a woman who helps other women in childbirth

Medical Definition

midwife

noun
mid·​wife ˈmid-ˌwīf How to pronounce midwife (audio)
: a person who assists women in childbirth see nurse-midwife

More from Merriam-Webster on midwife

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for midwife

Nglish: Translation of midwife for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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