pronatalism

P3R1O1N1A1T1A1L1I1S1M3

noun

An attitude or ideology promoting child-bearing; advocacy of having children, especially from the State.

First used 20th c.Scrabble 15

Meanings

nounpronatalism (usually uncountable, plural pronatalisms)

plural pronatalisms

  1. uncountableusuallyAn attitude or ideology promoting child-bearing; advocacy of having children, especially from the State.First known use 20th c.

    In France the emphasis fell on pronatalism; after the crushing defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1 and with the French population being outstripped by the German, health propaganda encouraged large families.

    1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 616
    1 more example

    On the other hand, Bishop questioned whether the increase in lesbians now considering motherhood is a response to pressure to have childen in order to see ourselves as whole and healthy. She noted the strong tide of pro-natalism sweeping our country; for example, the current preponderance of movies about babies.

    1988 February 14, Laurie Sherman, “All In A Day's Work”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 30, page 7

Origin

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

pronatalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pronatalism

MLA

“pronatalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pronatalism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pronatalism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pronatalism.

Source: pronatalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.