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

Jennifer Adkins was pregnant with her second child when she was told that the child had multiple, likely fatal conditions—and that if that pregnancy continued, she was at high risk of suffering mirror syndrome, which could lead to life-threatening edema and eclampsia.

From Slate

Jennifer Adkins and three other women were pregnant when they received almost certainly fatal fetal diagnoses.

From Slate

She said she was eight months pregnant at the time and was hiding in the bathroom, from where she could hear a commotion.

From BBC

In addition, the NHS recommends women who are trying for a baby take folic acid supplements for approximately three months before getting pregnant, and for at least 12 weeks after becoming pregnant.

From BBC

Adding folic acid to flour could prevent around 200 cases of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, every year, and improve the health of pregnant women, says the government, which is giving manufacturers until the end of 2026 to conform to the new legal requirement.

From BBC

Related Words

• rich