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

In 2016, 60% of the women who received birth control from a clinic participating in the Title X program revealed that that was their only source of health care the year before, according to the letter. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 3 Apr. 2025

Temporary treatment and management options include painkillers and birth control pills, which can decrease the growth of endometriosis tissue. —Monique Wilson, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2025

Male birth control options such as condoms and vasectomies haven't changed since the age of disco. —Erin Brodwin, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

People under the age of 18 in Connecticut can generally access contraceptive care — like birth control — without parental consent, though it’s not explicitly guaranteed in law. —Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for birth control

• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole
• omeprazole
• oriole

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