repronormativity

noun

The assumption that all humans want to have children, especially within the context of a monogamous heterosexual relationship.

OriginEnglish repronormative ← Latin norma ← Ancient Greek γνώμων (gnṓmōn) →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

nounrepronormativity (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe assumption that all humans want to have children, especially within the context of a monogamous heterosexual relationship.

    That is to say, repronormativity remains in the closet even while heteronormativity has stepped more into the light of the theoretical and political day.

    2001 January, Katherine M. Franke, “Theorizing Yes: An Essay On Feminism, Law, And Desire”, in Columbia Law Review, volume 101, number 181, page 185
    2 more examples

    Her feminist rewriting of the Nation thereby disrupts in its own ways national family values and the Nation's dependence on heterosexual repronormativity.

    2000, Jarrod Hayes, Queer Nations: Marginal Sexualities in the Maghreb, page 183

    The dynamic may even be more salient in this context, however, as "repronormativty" often conflates womanhood with motherhood (Franke, 2001), and women are more likely than men to provide daily care to children as an empirical matter.

    2015, Laura A. Rosenbury, “A Feminist Perspective on Children and Law: From Objectification to Relational Subjectivities”, in Tali Gal, Benedetta Duramy, editors, International Perspectives and Empirical Findings on Child Participation: From Social Exclusion to Child-Inclusive Policies, unnumbered page

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  7. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  8. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  9. Proto-Indo-European*pro-
  10. Proto-Italic*pro-
  11. Latinprō-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*dewk-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*déwkti
  14. Proto-Italic*doukō
  15. Latindūcō
  16. Latinprōdūcō
  17. Latinprōductiō
  18. Old Frenchproduction
  19. Middle Englishproduccioun
  20. Englishproduction
  21. Englishreproductionclip.
  22. Englishrepro-
  23. Proto-Indo-European*ǵneh₃-
  24. Proto-Indo-European*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti
  25. Proto-Hellenic*gignṓskō
  26. Ancient Greekγιγνώσκω (gignṓskō)
  27. Ancient Greekγνώμων (gnṓmōn)
  28. Latinnorma
  29. Englishnormative
  30. Englishnormativity
  31. Englishrepro-
  32. Englishnormative
  33. Englishrepronormative
  34. Englishrepronormativity

From repro- + normativity, or from repronormative + -ity.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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