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
Luwi keeps a copy of the journal in which Gajdusek recorded his birth. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The idea is that vaginal estrogen could help ease common post-birth concerns like swelling and soreness. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 15 Dec. 2025 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
Verb
These factors can make all the difference in your experience birthing a child and raising one. — Anna Halkidis, Parents, 8 Aug. 2026 Golden State was basically birthed into existence in front of it all. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 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
  • In the end the storybook house got its Christmas debut, with neighboring church bells, sheep, and a nativity scene for revelers.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of nativity
Noun
  • Okada also has Japanese ancestry but none of that is the issue.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hough also said some of his ancestry can be traced to those who fought in the American Revolution.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestry
Noun
  • Many of England’s players only arrived at their club’s pre-season camps at the beginning of August, three weeks after many sides saw the bulk of their squads return.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Jurors were shown a photo of a green body bag at the beginning of her questioning, followed by a grisly photo of his body.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginning
Adjective
  • The approach could eventually bring computation directly into biological environments.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … LAW & DISORDER — NY lawmaker calls stealing soap a 'biological need' and experts aren't having it.
    — , FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of biological
Verb
  • Tink publishes industry-standard newsletters such as Podcast the Newsletter and Podcast Marketing Magic, and produces the podcast discovery show Feed the Queue.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Kenya already produces 93% of its electricity using renewable sources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of produce
Noun
  • But it was followed by years of acrimony over the parenting of their two children.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Emilie Kiser’s social media following has made her family’s parenting choices a frequent subject of public scrutiny.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of parenting
Noun
  • Known as the Womack Sisters, BG, Zeimani and Kucha, come from an illustrious musical lineage.
    — Morena Duwe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Following the lineage, that meant that Charles’ kids would also have royal titles.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of lineage
Noun
  • This month marks the 50th anniversary of the inception of the first stock index fund.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • From its inception, Veterans Stadium was intended to be a monument for the people of Long Beach, living and dead.
    — Kate Raphael, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 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 25 Aug. 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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