maternity
/məˈtɜːnɪti/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: maternities
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The state of being a mother; motherhood.
Noun
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
The state of being pregnant; pregnancy.
Noun
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “maternity” mean?
The state of being a mother; motherhood.
Is “maternity” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.