pregnant

¹

[ preg-nuhnt ]

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 by with ):

   a silence pregnant with suspense.

3. teeming or fertile; rich (often followed by in ):

   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

[ preg-nuhnt ]

adjective

, Archaic.

1. convincing; cogent:

   a pregnant argument.

pregnant

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈpregnantly, adverb

Other Words From

• pregnant·ly adverb
• pregnant·ness noun

Word History and Origins

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 pregnant²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pregnant¹

C16: from Latin praegnāns with child, from prae before + ( g ) nascī to be born

Example Sentences

The next year, she created her first hypnobirthing program for her pregnant daughter, Maura.

From Washington Post

She was 16 when she found out she was pregnant after having sex for the first time.

From Washington Post

Just in the past few days, the WHO has flip-flopped between not recommending pregnant people get the vaccine to fully supporting them in receiving the inoculation.

From Popular-Science

To boot, a survey of 20,000 mothers and pregnant women in June last year by the advocacy group Pregnant Then Screwed highlighted that 15% were made or being made redundant, with 46% of those naming lack of childcare as a factor.

From Digiday

However, the pandemic, with its increased risks to pregnant women, seems poised to derail these trends.

From Vox

Sands was involved in a scandalous-for-the-time romance with the carpenter and there were rumors she was pregnant with his child.

From The Daily Beast

I was pregnant, uncomfortably so, for the first time and with twins, due the following March.

From The Daily Beast

Helicopters lifted pregnant women and children to safety first.

From The Daily Beast

He beat me every day, even when I was seven months pregnant.

From The Daily Beast

A dark minivan quickly fills with pregnant women and those carrying infants.

From The Daily Beast

And this fact seemed pregnant with evidence as to Gordon's state of mind; it did not appear to simplify the situation.

From Project Gutenberg

The situation was too pregnant with tragedy for him to run away and leave the pair to deal with it as best they could.

From Project Gutenberg

Abraham, who was fond of travelling, went into the horrible desert of Kadesh with his pregnant wife, ever young and ever pretty.

From Project Gutenberg

The Trades Union movement is one pregnant with promise for the future.

From Project Gutenberg

Its influence was most positive, and pregnant with good at that critical period between school and manhood.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• rich