stillbirth

American  

[stil-burth] / ˈstɪlˌbɜrθ /

noun

1. the birth of a dead child or organism.

2. a fetus dead at birth.

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stillbirth Cultural  

1. The birth of a fetus that has died; particularly, birth of a fetus that has died in the uterus at a stage in development when an infant could survive on its own if born healthy.

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Etymology

Origin of stillbirth

First recorded in 1745–55; still ¹ + birth

Example Sentences

She compared the pain she endured to the grief she felt after experiencing a stillbirth.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026

The report authors said that this target had been missed, but that a 36% reduction in stillbirth and neonatal deaths during this time - to 4.84 per 1,000 total births – was still "significant".

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

She’s twice turned to nonfiction, first for a 2008 memoir of stillbirth and parenthood, now for “A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Births, fertility, stillbirth and age-standardised mortality rates are all at their lowest levels since our records began.

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025

They were certain it would be another stillbirth and they reasoned that the less said about it, the less Sissy would have to remember afterward.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith