What does nulliparous mean?
Nulliparous describes a female that has never given birth or borne offspring. In medical and biological contexts, the word may refer to a woman, a laboratory animal, or another female mammal whose reproductive history includes no live birth. It is more precise than simply saying that someone has no children, because a person who has never been pregnant is not necessarily nulliparous, while a person who has had an abortion or pregnancy that did not result in a live birth may still meet the term's definition. The adjective can sound clinical, but it is useful when a speaker or writer needs to distinguish lack of prior childbirth from infertility or a voluntary decision not to have children. Its antonym, multiparous, means having borne offspring.
adjectiveHaving never given birth or borne offspring. The term is used chiefly in medicine and biology, especially of a female mammal.
- Having never given birth or borne offspring.
"The specialist noted that the patient remained nulliparous despite several years of trying to conceive."
"The veterinary report described the animal as a healthy nulliparous female."
"In the study, nulliparous participants were compared with women who had previously given birth."
Nulliparous records a reproductive history, not a verdict on fertility.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of nulliparous
The word comes through Latin, where the adjective nulliparus combined nullus, meaning “none,” with parere, meaning “to bring forth” or “bear.” Its modern English form reflects this Latin construction, with the suffix -ous replacing the Latin ending. Related Latin forms include partus, meaning “birth,” and parturire, meaning “to give birth.”
Related word forms
How nulliparous is actually used
This is primarily a clinical and biological term. It describes the absence of a prior birth and should not automatically be taken to mean that pregnancy is impossible; a nulliparous person may still be fertile.