birth control

noun

1
: deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation (as by use of birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, coitus interruptus, vasectomy, or tubal ligation) : contraception sense 1
Male sterilization, known as vasectomy, is the only long-acting method of birth control available to men …Richard V. Reeves and Eleanor Krause
… the rise in use of fertility apps and period trackers suggests women are keen for a hormone-free form of birth control.Nicola Davis and Niamh McIntyre
sometimes hyphenated before a noun
birth-control options
These clinics … provide all the birth-control methods for free.Robert Abbott
2
: devices or preparations designed to prevent conception
especially : devices or preparations (such as IUDs or birth control pills) that typically contain progestin either alone or in combination with estrogen and that prevent ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, or thin the uterine lining in order to prevent conception : contraception sense 2
Enabling pharmacists to prescribe birth control will improve access to this medication, especially in rural and underserved areas where access to reproductive health care is limited. The Newtown (Connecticut) Bee
see also birth control pill

Examples of birth control in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Doctors are on alert, but remain defiant Der Simonian oversees a network of clinics across Maine that offer abortions, birth control and gender-affirming care. Rosemary Westwood, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025 Talk with a healthcare provider about your hormone levels and ask if birth control pills could help. Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2025 In Europe and the United States, Paul is remembered for rejecting, in 1968, a papal commission’s recommendation that the Church authorize the use of birth control, prompting many Catholics to ignore the ban or leave the Church altogether. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Common treatments for excessive menstrual bleeding include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or NSAIDs, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, and birth control pills, which can reduce bleeding by about 30%, Faubion added. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for birth control

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth control was in 1876

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birth control.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20control. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

birth control

noun
1
: control of the number of births especially by preventing or lessening the occurrence of conception
2
: devices or preparations used to prevent pregnancy

Medical Definition

birth control

noun
1
: deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation (as by use of birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, coitus interruptus, vasectomy, or tubal ligation) : contraception sense 1
… after careful consideration of the various types of birth control available, a woman may choose a diaphragm (see diaphragm sense 3) as her major method of pregnancy protection. … It is not necessary for her to rethink all of the birth control options every time she has sex.James Jaccard et al., New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
… family planning services through programs such as Medicaid and Title X, which have been critical in reducing costs and expanding access for low-income women to the birth-control method of their choice.Cecile Richards, The New England Journal of Medicine
2
: devices or preparations designed to prevent conception
especially : devices or preparations (such as IUDs or birth control pills) that typically contain progestin either alone or in combination with estrogen and that stop ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, or thin the uterine lining in order to prevent conception : contraception sense 2
For women of many identities, oral birth control represents an affordable, non-invasive, and effective means of family planning. Susannah Iles, Michigan Journal of Gender and Law
see also birth control pill

More from Merriam-Webster on birth control

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