birth 1 of 3

noun

ˈbərth How to pronounce birth (audio)
Definition of birthnext
1
as in nativity
the act or instance of being born almost from birth, he showed all the marks of future greatness

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2
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended a man of noble birth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in beginning
the point at which something begins that 12-second flight by Orville Wright marked the birth of aviation

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birth

2 of 3

adjective

as in biological
being such by blood and not by adoption or marriage argued that the birth mother had not been informed of all of her options at the time of the adoption

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

birth

3 of 3

verb

chiefly dialect
as in to produce
to bring forth from the womb back in those days a woman her age would have birthed several children

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of birth
Noun
Other theories suggest that certain cells within the abdomen may transform into endometrial-like tissue, while some evidence points to stem cells or developmental changes that occur before birth. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026 The family returned to England shortly after Folarin Balogun's birth. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Adjective
The pregnancy announcement, the gender reveal, the baby shower, the pregnancy photo shoot, the birth photo shoot, the post-birth photo shoot, the sip-n-see. — Shani Silver, refinery29.com, 31 May 2024 With that in mind, many couples are now opting to take a break from the organizational overload in the form of a long-haul babymoon—a pre-birth couples vacation—as a way of spending those last special moments together as a family of two. — Joanna Carrigan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2023
Verb
The woman responsible for birthing Cristiano Ronaldo caused quite the stir in Pompano Beach on Monday. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Tourism boards need to be far more aggressive about designing ecosystems that circulate tourist dollars into the hands of the people who actually birthed and molded the soil of the destination worth visiting. — Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for birth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birth
  1. nativity
  2. ancestry
  3. beginning
  4. biological
  5. produce
  6. parenting
  7. lineage
  8. inception
Noun
  • Cicero, originally from Scicli, suggests bookmarking the Church of San Bartolomeo’s Neapolitan nativity, or the curious Cristo con la gonnella.
    — Jenn Rice, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2026
  • At the front of the room, an elaborate nativity scene (one of several set up throughout the house) has been arranged on an old mantle fireplace, a halo of blue and white string lights framing miniature angels and an extra-miniature baby Jesus.
    — Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of nativity
Noun
  • However, elites’ DNA contained genetic similarities known as runs of homozygosity — adjacent genetic markers indicating common ancestry — and their genomes tended to be more homogenous than those of non-elites.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Maybe that ancestry made Beck the wrong guy to pitch on America’s big day.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Definition of ancestry
Noun
  • Prior to the trial beginning, the judge agreed that questions about Brown’s felony conviction for his 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna would be barred from testimony.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026
  • June was a frenetic month for the metro Atlanta restaurant scene, driven in part by a flurry of downtown openings timed to the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of beginning
Adjective
  • Aside from the peeling of the waterproof coating, the reflecting pool has been plagued by an algae bloom, a persistent problem due to Washington’s high heat during the summer and the pool’s shallow depth, which creates an ideal biological incubator.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 6 July 2026
  • If the science holds up in human trials, tooth loss could eventually be treated as a biological problem to reverse rather than a permanent condition to patch over with implants and dentures.
    — Allison Palmer July 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of biological
Verb
  • During an earnings call in May, Chief Executive Brian Chesky said AI now writes nearly 60% of new code, produced by the company’s engineers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • For decades, oceans have acted as the planet’s main heat sink, absorbing 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Definition of produce
Noun
  • By Jones is a writer with a strong focus on health, parenting, disability, and feminism.
    — Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 3 July 2026
  • For couples, there are disputes about money, chores and parenting practices.
    — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of parenting
Noun
  • Green said that through William's mother, the late Princess Diana, his lineage traces back to Benajah Strong.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • The research team, led by Ellie Bourgikos and Nathan Grubaugh at the Yale School of Public Health, estimates that one of the virus’s two major lineages arrived in the Northeast by the early 1700s.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of lineage
Noun
  • Some team executives and agents have considered the second apron, set at just under $222 million this coming season, as a de facto hard cap since its inception.
    — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Since its inception, social media has been a proving ground for tween fashion and identity, offering under-16s a digital canvas to experiment with their style and form online cliques around niche interests.
    — Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 2 July 2026
Definition of inception

Phrases Containing birth

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birse
birth
birthday suit
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Cite this Entry

“Birth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birth. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on birth

Nglish: Translation of birth for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about birth

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