Pregnant Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms pregnant 1 American [preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

    adjective

    1. having a child or other offspring developing in the body; with child or young, as a woman or female mammal.

    2. fraught, filled, or abounding (usually followed bywith ).

      a silence pregnant with suspense.

    3. teeming or fertile; rich (often followed byin ).

      a mind pregnant in ideas.

    4. full of meaning; highly significant.

      a pregnant utterance.

    5. of great importance or potential; momentous.

      a pregnant moment in the history of the world.

    pregnant 2 American [preg-nuhnt] / ˈprɛg nənt /

    adjective

    Archaic.

    1. convincing; cogent.

      a pregnant argument.

    pregnant British / ˈprɛɡnənt /

    adjective

    1. carrying a fetus or fetuses within the womb

    2. full of meaning or significance

    3. inventive or imaginative

    4. prolific or fruitful

    "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

    Other Word Forms

    • pregnantly adverb
    • pregnantness noun

    Etymology

    Origin of pregnant1

    1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praegnant- (stem of praegnāns ), variant of praegnās, equivalent to prae- pre- + *gnāt- (akin to ( g ) nātus born, gignere to bring into being) + -s nominative singular ending

    Origin of pregnant1

    1350–1400; Middle English preignant < Old French, present participle of preindre, earlier priembre to press 1 < Latin premere. print

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    The legislation will give workers access to sick pay and paternity leave from the first day on the job and contains new protections for pregnant women and new mothers.

    From BBC

    After suffering "stress and anxiety" while trying for a baby, Aled Edwards and his wife Sophie were delighted when they found out she was pregnant.

    From BBC

    Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts has announced she is pregnant with her first child.

    From BBC

    The visit has the heavy air of obligation — they don’t see Dad very often — and when he clumsily welcomes them into his ramshackle house, pregnant pauses and pursed lips ensue.

    From Los Angeles Times

    The UN's refugee agency, UNCHR, said those especially affected are children and women - including pregnant women - some who reported going without food for days.

    From BBC

    Related Words

    • rich

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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