What does caesarean mean?
A caesarean is a major surgical operation used to deliver a baby through incisions made in the mother's abdominal wall and uterus, typically performed when a vaginal birth would pose risks to mother or child — for example, in cases of foetal distress, obstructed labour, or multiple births. In everyday speech and medical writing it is usually shortened from the full term 'caesarean section', and it functions both as a noun (the operation itself) and as an adjective describing things connected with it, as in 'caesarean birth'. Deliveries are described as elective when planned in advance and emergency when decided during labour. The word derives from Latin via the name of Julius Caesar; legend links it to the emperor's own birth, though the historical accuracy of this story is doubtful. Spelling varies by region — British English favours 'caesarean', American English 'cesarean' — but the meaning is universal in modern obstetrics.
The surgical operation of delivering a baby through an incision in the abdominal wall and uterus.
"One in three babies in some countries is now born by caesarean."
Almost always short for 'caesarean section'; plural is 'caesareans'.
Relating to a caesarean delivery, or to Julius Caesar and the Caesars.
"Her caesarean scar healed cleanly within a few weeks."
Used when referring to multiple instances of the operation, e.g. in hospital statistics.
"The maternity unit performs over two thousand caesareans each year."
The name may trace back to Julius Caesar — though historians note his mother survived long after his birth, and abdominal deliveries were nearly always fatal in ancient Rome.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of caesarean
'Caesarean' comes from the Latin 'Caesar', the family name of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, entering English usage in connection with surgical birth by the early modern period. Legend holds that Julius Caesar himself was delivered this way, giving rise to the term 'caesarean section', though Roman law known as lex Caesarea is more plausibly the source, reportedly mandating that a dying mother be cut open to save the child. The same Latin root gives rise to related titles of rulers: German 'Kaiser' and Russian 'tsar' both descend from 'Caesar'.
How caesarean is actually used
In medical and everyday contexts, 'caesarean' is usually shorthand for 'caesarean section'; British spelling often uses 'caesarian', and American style frequently uses 'cesarean'. It carries no strong connotation — it is a neutral clinical term — though rates of caesarean delivery are sometimes discussed in debates about childbirth practices. The adjective sense relating to Caesar is rare outside historical writing.
Easily confused with caesarean
A hysterotomy is any surgical incision of the uterus, while a caesarean specifically refers to such an incision performed to deliver a baby near term.