Mothering
noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The nurturing of a child by its mother. countable, uncountable
"The unification or bringing together of disparate things […] which Mrs Ramsay seeks to achieve by marryings and motherings […]"
- 2 The protective behavior of a mother towards her child. countable, uncountable
- 3 Nurturing or protective behavior reminiscent of that performed by a literal mother. countable, uncountable
"The institution in the past has done monumental work harboring the homeless, mothering the homeless, mothering the motherless, caring for the poor and dependent"
- 4 Clipping of a-mothering (“practice of visiting one's literal or figurative mother or mother church”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Mothering-.—In former days, when the Roman Catholic was the established religion, it was the custom for people to visit their Mother Church on MidLent Sunday, and to make their offerings at the high altar. ...the now remaining practice of Mothering, or going to visit parents upon Mid-Lent Sunday, is really owing to that good old custom."
- 1 present participle and gerund of mother form-of, gerund, participle, present
Example
More examples"A study of rats suggests attentive and nurturing mothering permanently alters genetic activity in the brain, leaving young rats better able to resist the temptation of drugs later in life."
Etymology
By surface analysis, mother + -ing.
Related phrases
More for "mothering"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.