Meanings
plural maternities
- countableuncountableThe state of being a mother; motherhood.
- countableuncountableA ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born.
She's working in maternity this month.
Synonyms: maternity ward
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus
nounthe kinship relation between an offspring and the mother
nounthe quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinmāternitās
- Frenchmaternité
- Englishmaternity
From French maternité, from Latin māternitās.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian майчинство, бременност
- майчинство (majčinstvo)state of being a mother; motherhood
- бременност (bremennost)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
- роди́лното (rodílnoto)ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
- неонатоло́гия (neonatológija)ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Czech porodnické oddělení
- porodnické odděleníward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Dutch materniteit, moederschap
- materniteitstate of being a mother; motherhood
- moederschapstate of being a mother; motherhood
Esperanto patrineco
- patrinecostate of being a mother; motherhood
Finnish äitiys, raskaus
- äitiysstate of being a mother; motherhood
- raskausstate of being pregnant; pregnancy
- synnytysosastoward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
- synnytyssairaalaward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Greek μητρότητα, εγκυμοσύνη
- μητρότητα (mitrótita)state of being a mother; motherhood
- εγκυμοσύνη (egkymosýni)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
- μαιευτήριο (maieftírio)ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Hindi मातृत्व, गर्भावस्था
- मातृत्व (mātŕtva)state of being a mother; motherhood
- गर्भावस्था (garbhāvasthā)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
Malay korban laki-laki
- korban laki-lakiward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Polish macierzyństwo, ciąża
- macierzyństwostate of being a mother; motherhood
- ciążastate of being pregnant; pregnancy
- porodówkaward or department in a hospital in which babies are born
Russian материнство, беременность
- материнство (materinstvo)state of being a mother; motherhood
- беременность (beremennostʹ)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
Tamil தாய்மை, மகப்பேறு
- தாய்மை (tāymai)state of being a mother; motherhood
- மகப்பேறு (makappēṟu)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
- தாய்மை (tāymai)state of being pregnant; pregnancy
Welsh mamolaeth
- mamolaethstate of being a mother; motherhood
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with maternity
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
maternity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maternity
“maternity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maternity. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maternity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maternity.
Source: maternity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.