pregnancy

noun

preg·​nan·​cy ˈpreg-nən(t)-sē How to pronounce pregnancy (audio)
plural pregnancies
Synonyms of pregnancynext
1
: the quality of being pregnant (as in meaning)
2
: the condition of being pregnant : gestation
3
: an instance of being pregnant

Synonyms of pregnancy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of pregnancy in a Sentence

an elephant's pregnancy can last almost a year
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.
In six rural counties across Indiana, an Indiana University Health nurse is paired with a first-time expectant mother to provide support throughout her pregnancy, birth and the critical early years of a child’s life. — Washington Post, 10 July 2026 Balancing pregnancy, her children, and a packed work schedule paired with severe bouts of nausea has made adhering to a strict schedule complex for the artist, who is used to being on the go. — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026 The pregnancy marks the first time a second lady has given birth while her husband has served in the White House since Ellen Maria Colfax in 1870. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 10 July 2026 For a mammoth, a successful pregnancy in an elephant surrogate would drag on for almost two years. — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pregnancy

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pregnancy was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing pregnancy

Browse Nearby Words

pregnance
pregnancy
pregnancy test
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pregnancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pregnancy. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

pregnancy

noun
preg·​nan·​cy ˈpreg-nən(t)-sē How to pronounce pregnancy (audio)
plural pregnancies
: the condition of being pregnant : gestation

Medical Definition

pregnancy

noun
preg·​nan·​cy ˈpreg-nən-sē How to pronounce pregnancy (audio)
plural pregnancies
1
: the condition of being pregnant
2
: an instance of being pregnant

More from Merriam-Webster on pregnancy

Nglish: Translation of pregnancy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pregnancy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All