cesarean section

Scientific  

/ sĭ-zâr′ē-ən /

1. A surgical incision through the abdominal wall and uterus, performed to deliver a fetus.

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Cesarean section Cultural  

1. Childbirth by surgical removal of the fetus through an incision made in the wall of the abdomen and in the uterus, usually used as an alternative when natural delivery through the vagina is considered risky. The number of Cesarean sections in the United States has increased sharply in recent years, causing concern among patients, surgeons, and insurers.

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The term derives from the traditional belief that Julius Caesar was born by this method.

The procedure is often referred to colloquially as a “C-section.”

Example Sentences

There has been a significant increase in cesarean section deliveries in recent decades, which made up 32.3% of deliveries in 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

According to the article in Time, all three wolves were born by planned cesarean section to minimise the risk of complications.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

The protests were led by 4Kira4Moms, a group founded by Charles Johnson, whose wife Kira Dixon Johnson died of hemorrhaging at Cedars-Sinai after a cesarean section nearly nine years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2025

When Siming Zhu gave birth to her daughter via cesarean section, she didn’t go home after leaving the hospital.

From Slate • Jul. 13, 2024

Olympian Allyson Felix, who developed pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy and had to have an emergency cesarean section at 32 weeks.

From New York Times • May 1, 2024