maternity

From French maternité, from Latin māternitās.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /məˈtɜːnɪti/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /məˈtɜɹnəti/, [-ɾi]
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nɪti
• Hyphenation: ma‧tern‧i‧ty

maternity (countable and uncountable, plural maternities)

1. The state of being a mother; motherhood.
2. The state of being pregnant; pregnancy.
3. A ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born.

   She's working in maternity this month.

• (ward): maternity ward

• paternity (with respect to gender)