Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

motherhood

[ muhth-er-hood ]

noun

  1. the state of being a mother; maternity.
  2. the qualities or spirit of a mother.
  3. mothers collectively.


adjective

  1. having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable:

    legislation pushed through on a motherhood basis.

motherhood

/ ˈʌðəˌʊ /

noun

  1. the state of being a mother
  2. the qualities characteristic of a mother
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of motherhood1

First recorded in 1375–1425; from the late Middle English word moderhed. See mother 1, -hood
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bryony Mills-Evans said she did not think she wanted children, but was thrust into motherhood at the age of 23 despite having no pregnancy symptoms.

From

She wrote about her struggles with infertility and her journey to motherhood through adoption in her 2015 memoir, “Everything You Ever Wanted.”

From

Williams enters the newest chapter of her motherhood journey as she stars in FX’s “Dying for Sex.”

From

"My joys and fears in pregnancy and motherhood are the same as those experienced by millions of other women around the world," she added.

From

These memories – of new hobbies and relationships, of motherhood and family, of loneliness, of interrupted treatments, of joy and grief – offer a snapshot of what people across the UK went through five years ago.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Discover More

More About Motherhood

doesmotherhood mean?

Motherhood is the state of being a mother.

A person enters motherhood when they become a mother. This most commonly happens when their child is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by marrying or becoming a partner to someone with children.

Motherhood is a gender-specific version of the term parenthood.

Less commonly, motherhood can refer to all mothers collectively, as in You won’t find a better mom in all of motherhood.

Example: People who have not experienced motherhood probably shouldn’t be so quick to criticize how moms parent their children.

Where doesmotherhood come from?

The first records of the word motherhood come from around 1400. The suffix -hood indicates a state or condition—in this case, the state of being a mother. It’s used in the same way in words like fatherhood, parenthood, adulthood, and childhood.

Unlike adulthood, the start of motherhood is very definite—it begins when a person becomes a mother. After that, most mothers consider motherhood to be a permanent state that lasts even after their children have grown up. In other words, once you become a mother, you never stop being one. Motherhood is usually considered very challenging due to all the difficulties of raising children, but it’s usually also considered very rewarding. It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love, as the saying goes.

Did you know ... ?

are some synonyms for motherhood?

are some words that share a root or word element with motherhood?

are some words that often get used in discussing motherhood?

How ismotherhood used in real life?

The word motherhood is often associated with the many challenges that it involves.

Try usingmotherhood!

True or False?

Motherhood is usually thought to end when a mother’s child is an adult.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


mother henmother house