Meaning & use
baby boom
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a period when many more babies are born than usual
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a baby boom' or 'the baby boom' when referring to a specific one.
Patterns
- a baby boom
- the baby boom
- the post-war baby boom
The baby boom after the war changed the country's schools and housing.
Many hospitals were built to handle the baby boom of the 1950s.
Economists study baby booms to predict future demand for services.
Word forms
| plural | baby booms |
|---|
Common combinations
- post-war baby boom
- The post-war baby boom led to a surge in suburban construction.
- a second baby boom
- Some countries experienced a second baby boom in the 1980s.
- the baby boom generation
- The baby boom generation is now reaching retirement age.
- cause a baby boom
- Better healthcare and economic stability can cause a baby boom.
Synonyms and how they differ
- population surge
- Broader and can refer to any rapid increase in population, not just births.
Opposites
Word family
- baby boomer noun
- a person born during a baby boom, especially the one after World War II
Commonly confused: baby boom or baby boomer?
baby boom vs baby boomer
A baby boom is the event or period; a baby boomer is a person born during it.
Practice
The ___________ after World War II led to a sharp increase in the number of children.
Choose one answer.
'Baby boom' fits because it names the event itself. 'Baby boomer' is a person, so it would not make sense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baby boom”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.