live birth: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low to MediumFormal, Technical, Medical, Legal, Demographic
Quick answer
What does “live birth” mean?
The birth of a baby that shows signs of life, such as breathing, heartbeat, or voluntary muscle movement, at the time of its delivery.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The birth of a baby that shows signs of life, such as breathing, heartbeat, or voluntary muscle movement, at the time of its delivery.
In broader contexts, it refers to any reproductive event where offspring are born alive rather than hatching from an egg or being stillborn. In legal and demographic contexts, it is the official recorded event of a live-born child.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term and its meaning are identical in both varieties. Minor differences may exist in surrounding administrative or medical jargon.
Connotations
Neutral, factual, and clinical in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American demographic/health reporting due to differing public discourse patterns, but the term itself is equally standard.
Grammar
How to Use “live birth” in a Sentence
VERB + live birth (have/record/result in)ADJ + live birth (healthy/preterm/multiple)PREP + live birth (rate of live births)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “live birth” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The live-birth rate is a key health indicator.
- They were hoping for a live-birth outcome.
American English
- The live-birth statistics were published by the CDC.
- A live-birth event was recorded.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in insurance or healthcare business contexts discussing outcomes.
Academic
Common in medical, biological, demographic, and public health research papers.
Everyday
Used when discussing pregnancy outcomes, fertility treatments, or animal reproduction in a precise way.
Technical
The standard term in obstetrics, gynaecology, veterinary medicine, and vital statistics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “live birth”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “live birth”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “live birth”
- Writing 'life birth' (incorrect).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'She lived birth' is wrong).
- Confusing pronunciation with the verb 'to live' /lɪv/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
All 'live births' are 'births', but not all 'births' are live (e.g., a stillbirth). 'Live birth' specifies the baby was alive at delivery.
Yes, it is commonly used in veterinary and zoological contexts to distinguish from egg-laying (oviparity).
No, it is exclusively a noun phrase. You cannot 'live birth' something. Correct verbs are 'have', 'give birth to', or 'result in' a live birth.
It is pronounced /laɪv/ (rhyming with 'alive' or 'five'), not /lɪv/ (as in 'I live in London').
The birth of a baby that shows signs of life, such as breathing, heartbeat, or voluntary muscle movement, at the time of its delivery.
Live birth is usually formal, technical, medical, legal, demographic in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'live' as in 'alive and breathing', not 'live music'. A LIVE BIRTH is when the baby is LIVE at BIRTH.
Conceptual Metaphor
OUTCOME AS PRODUCT (e.g., 'the procedure yielded a live birth').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'live birth' LEAST likely to be used?