birth

16 synonyms and 1 antonym for birth, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The event of being born; the moment a baby or animal comes into the world.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

delivery arrival labour have bear deliver

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

childbirth

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

nativity being born nascency nascence birthing parentage give birth parturition giving birth

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The event of being born; the moment a baby or animal comes into the world.

“The farmer stayed up all night waiting for the birth of the foal.”

childbirth delivery nativity arrival labour being born have bear deliver nascency nascence birthing parentage give birth parturition giving birth

Opposites

death

2. verb

To give birth to, or to bring something into existence.

“The old mare birthed a healthy foal in the early hours.”

deliver have bear

How to use birth

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

give birth at birth birth of a nation date of birth

Etymology

From Middle English birthe, borrowed from Old Norse burðr, ultimately from the same ancient root as the verb "to bear" — so birth literally means "the act of bearing (a child)".

Full origin of birth →

Frequently asked questions

What does “birth” mean?

The word “birth” means the event of being born; the moment a baby or animal comes into the world. In plain terms, being born, or the start of something new.

How do you pronounce “birth”?

“Birth” is pronounced burth (/bɜɹθ/ in IPA).

How do you use “birth” in a sentence?

Here is “birth” used in a sentence: “She was exhausted but overjoyed after the birth of her son.”

What is the opposite of “birth”?

The opposite of “birth” — its antonyms — is death.

What part of speech is “birth”?

Depending on how it is used, “birth” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “birth” come from?

The word “birth” comes from Middle English. From Middle English birthe, borrowed from Old Norse burðr, ultimately from the same ancient root as the verb "to bear" — so birth literally means "the act of bearing (a child)".

Is “birth” a common word?

“Birth” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

How many meanings does “birth” have?

“Birth” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the event of being born; the moment a baby or animal comes into the world.

What is the difference between "birth" and "berth"?

They sound alike but are unrelated. "Birth" is the moment of being born, the arrival of a baby or animal into the world. "Berth" is a sleeping bunk on a ship or train, or a space where a ship docks. The phrase "give a wide berth" also means to keep well clear of something.

What is the opposite of birth?

The natural opposite is death: one marks the beginning of life and the other its end, and the pair is often spoken of together. In a narrower sense, "birth" can be contrasted with "conception," which comes months earlier, but in everyday language death is the true opposite.

Related words

bear born

People also searched

have death labour bear deliver delivery arrival childbirth nativity parturition nascence nascency

Nearby words

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