morning-after pill

noun

morn·​ing-af·​ter pill ˌmȯr-niŋ-ˈaf-tər- 

variants or less commonly morning after pill

plural morning-after pills also morning after pills

: an oral drug usually containing high doses of estrogen that is taken up to usually three days after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure to prevent or delay ovulation

The FDA-approved morning-after pill can reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex or failure of another contraceptive method like a condom, and is ideally taken within 72 hours. The pill … works by delaying ovulation or preventing implantation and cannot terminate a pregnancy.

—Parija Kavilanz

compare emergency contraception

Examples of morning-after pill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a more complex process than the progestin-only morning-after pill. —Geri Stengel, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Women have begun stocking up on emergency contraception, also often referred to as the morning-after pill. —Tina Reed, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024

In June, the CDC started recommending doxycycline as a morning-after pill, specifically for gay and bisexual men and transgender women who recently had an STD diagnosis. —Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024

No, morning-after pills are emergency contraception and will not work if a woman is already pregnant. —Alyssa Goldberg, The Courier-Journal, 13 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

morning-after pill

noun

morn·​ing-af·​ter pill ˌmȯr-niŋ-ˈaf-tər- 

variants also morning after pill

: an oral drug typically containing high doses of estrogen that is taken up to usually three days after unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure to prevent or delay ovulation compare emergency contraception