From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmaternityma‧ter‧ni‧ty1 /məˈtɜːnəti $ -ɜːr-/ ●○○ adjective [only before noun] relating to a woman who is pregnant or who has just had a baby → paternity a maternity dressmaternity benefits/pay etc (=money that the government or employers give to a woman after she has had a baby)
Examples from the Corpus
maternity• Maternity clothes are more stylish than they used to be.• maternity clothes• a maternity hospital• Most women who take maternity leave look forward to returning to their jobs.• Rarely have they bargained aggressively for benefits such as maternity leave or more help with child care.• The present 18 weeks maternity leave will be extended to 26 weeks.• Laws extending health insurance and maternity leave?• In addition, co-anchor Katie Couric is currently on maternity leave.• She learned to sew and made maternity smocks he tried to admire.• In the high-visibility, emotionally compelling cases such as maternity stays, an uproar resulted.• But the maternity unit is widely expected to close at the end of this month.• Which way to the maternity ward?• It seems the merest flash since Jack and I were gingerly bringing home our own babies from the maternity wards.maternity benefits/pay etc• An agreement was reached yesterday which represents a sensible balance on maternity pay.• She got full maternity leave and prorata maternity pay.• The new system should, it was argued, include family allowances, maternity benefits and provision for widows.• You may also be entitled to departmental maternity pay during some of this period.• What if we have our own maternity pay scheme?• The rate of maternity pay will be no lower than the Statutory Sick Pay rate.• How will the latest details on increasing maternity pay work?maternitymaternity2 noun [uncountable] MBMOTHERthe state of being a motherExamples from the Corpus
maternity• The predictions are that this will go further to encompass accident and emergency, maternity and even psychiatry.• Enormous improvements have been made there and £1m was provided in 1989 for new maternity and ante natal facilities.• But also the whole agenda of maternity and child welfare and its subsequent implementation was promoted by the guild. 