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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Bryson allegedly posted in a Facebook group where birth mothers connect with families interested in adoption, claiming that she was located in Houston but was willing to travel to hand over the baby, authorities said in the charging documents. Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Kathleen Casey, McNulty’s birth mother, was now living in a small trailer in South Carolina. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2024 Unclear why that was hidden before, but Ruby is just happy to learn that her birth mother named her. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 21 June 2024 Soon after, Chelsea went to live with her birth mother in Wisconsin. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for birth mother 

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 18 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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