mama

noun

ma·​ma ˈmä-mə How to pronounce mama (audio)
 chiefly British  mə-ˈmä
variants or less commonly mamma or momma
1
: mother
2
slang : wife, woman

Examples of mama in a Sentence

I'm not your mama—you'll have to clean up after yourself.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our little Brown and Black girls and boys are gonna watch with their grandmas, with their aunties, with their mamas, and see themselves in this beautiful light. Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025 Read Next North Carolina ‘Sweet’ mama dog’s nine puppies were all adopted. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025 Rockwell's Officer Dixon, a mama’s boy with a screw loose and a history of torturing Black prisoners, is a target of her ire − that is, until the actor carefully adds layers to what could be a one-note jerk. 14. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025 The zoo welcomed its baby bongo after his mama, Cayenne, gave birth for the first time. Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mama

Word History

Etymology

baby talk

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mama was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mama. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

mama

noun
ma·​ma
variants also mamma or momma
ˈmäm-ə

More from Merriam-Webster on mama

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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