birth mother

noun

: the mother of a child when the child is born
specifically : a woman who gave birth to a child who has been adopted
They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital. Emily Nussbaum

Examples of birth mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Soon after, Chelsea went to live with her birth mother in Wisconsin. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 After she was found a week later, Chelsea moved to Wisconsin to live with her birth mother. Bailey Richards, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024 The British actress was barely out of drama school when she got cast in the 1996 comedic drama playing Hortense, a Black middle-class professional who was adopted as a baby and, after the death of her parents, decides to track down her birth mother. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024 Children born via surrogate mothers in the United States may have the client couple's name on birth certificates, and often take the child away from his or her birth mother immediately. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for birth mother 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'birth mother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth mother was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near birth mother

Cite this Entry

“Birth mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20mother. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

birth mother

noun
birth moth·​er
: the woman who gave birth to a child especially as distinguished from the child's adoptive mother
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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