midwifery

noun

mid·​wife·​ry ˌmid-ˈwi-f(ə-)rē How to pronounce midwifery (audio) -ˈwī- How to pronounce midwifery (audio)
ˈmid-ˌwī-
1
: the art or act of assisting at childbirth
also : obstetrics
2
: the art, act, or process of producing, bringing forth, or bringing about

Examples of midwifery in a Sentence

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.
Haines worked in nursing and midwifery and as an academic before being elected to Parliament as an independent in 2019 in the seat of Indi. — Reuters, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 But the interesting thing is that his midwifery amounted to extracting those views from the most reluctant mouths. — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026 My own path into nurse-midwifery felt less like a career choice and more like a calling. — Mara Evans, STAT, 27 July 2026 That’s why Arroyo wants to be a part of the Tierras Indígenas Community Land Trust, a development that would bring affordable housing, a community art space and a midwifery to Barrio Logan. — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for midwifery

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Rhymes for midwifery

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Browse Nearby Words

midwife frog
midwifery
midwing monoplane
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Midwifery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midwifery. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

midwifery

noun
mid·​wife·​ry ˌmid-ˈwif-(ə-)rē How to pronounce midwifery (audio) -ˈwīf- How to pronounce midwifery (audio)
ˈmid-ˌwīf-
: the art or act of assisting at childbirth
also : obstetrics

Medical Definition

midwifery

noun
mid·​wife·​ry ˌmid-ˈwif-(ə-)rē How to pronounce midwifery (audio) -ˈwīf-; ˈmid-ˌwīf- How to pronounce midwifery (audio)
plural midwiferies
: the art or act of assisting at childbirth
also : obstetrics see nurse-midwifery

More from Merriam-Webster on midwifery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about midwifery

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