family planning

American  

noun

1. the concept or a program of limiting the size of families through the spacing or prevention of pregnancies, especially for economic reasons.

2. (loosely) birth control.

---

family planning British  

noun

1. the control of the number of children in a family and of the intervals between them, esp by the use of contraceptives See also birth control

---

family planning Cultural  

1. The use of education and birth control to limit the number of offspring and the population of a country. (See population control and Margaret Sanger.)

---

Etymology

Origin of family planning

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Their furniture was all in the possession of the family planning officers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

An effort to include HIV testing in family planning in Kenya fell apart.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

Other UN organisations affected included those working on peace and democracy, family planning, maternal and child health, and sexual violence in conflict.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

China in 2021 further relaxed its strict family planning controls, allowing couples to have three children -- something many couples, especially those living in cities, are reluctant to do.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

Second, nations with food deficits must put more of their resources into voluntary family planning programs.

From State of the Union Address by Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines)