fertility
noun
fer·til·i·ty
(ˌ)fər-ˈti-lə-tē 
1
: the quality or state of being fertile
2
: the birth rate of a population
Examples of fertility in a Sentence
She studied the effects of pollution on the fertility of the local fish population.
The doctor ordered a test of his fertility.
The area is known for its soil fertility.
the fertility of his imagination
Recent Examples on the Web
The fertility rate that same year was 54.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, a slight drop compared to 2022's rate of 56 births per 1,000 women.
—
Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
As a result, the country's fertility rate fell to just 1.0 child per woman in 2023—well below the 2.1 needed to sustain the population—leaving fewer young people to care for both children and aging parents.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
The decline in high school graduates through 2041 is projected to be most severe in the Northeast, Midwest and West, where fertility rates have been generally lower than in other regions, and to which fewer families have moved.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025
Global fertility rates have dropped from 5.3 births per woman in 1963 to 2.3 in 2021.
—Amy Pope, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fertility 
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Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
As a result, the country's fertility rate fell to just 1.0 child per woman in 2023—well below the 2.1 needed to sustain the population—leaving fewer young people to care for both children and aging parents.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
The decline in high school graduates through 2041 is projected to be most severe in the Northeast, Midwest and West, where fertility rates have been generally lower than in other regions, and to which fewer families have moved.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025
Global fertility rates have dropped from 5.3 births per woman in 1963 to 2.3 in 2021.
—Amy Pope, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fertility
Dictionary Entries Near fertility
Cite this Entry
“Fertility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fertility. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fertility
noun
fer·til·i·ty
(ˌ)fər-ˈtil-ət-ē
plural fertilities
1
: the quality or state of being fertile
2
: the birth rate of a population
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