maternity

From French maternité, from Latin māternitās.

• IPA^(key): /məˈtɜː(ɹ)nɪti/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

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)