antenatal

American

[an-tee-neyt-l] / ˌæn tiˈneɪt l /

adjective

prenatal.

an antenatal clinic.

antenatal British

/ ˌæntɪˈneɪtəl /

adjective

occurring or present before birth; during pregnancy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

Also called: prenatal. informal an examination during pregnancy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

antenatally adverb

Etymology

Origin of antenatal

First recorded in 1810–20; ante- + natal

Compare meaning

How does antenatal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

antenatal vs. prenatal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They didn't know each other, but they had one thing in common - they were all expecting their first child and attending antenatal classes.

From BBC

She's found herself in "identity limbo" between her old friends and the new group of mums she's met through antenatal classes.

From BBC

She said the risk was that antenatal care would get missed.

From BBC

Support 2gether offers support and education to mothers who are living with antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety.

From BBC

The pair had travelled through a country during an outbreak of the Zika virus - which can affect a baby's development - and the London hospital where Marten attended antenatal appointments became concerned.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023