Meaning & use
primipara
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Meaning
nouncountablemedicaltechnical
A woman who is giving birth for the first time, or who has delivered only one child.
Grammar: Used in clinical notes: a 28-year-old primipara.
Patterns
- a primipara at 39 weeks
The nurse noted that the patient was a primipara and expected a longer labor.
A primipara may need extra support during delivery.
The study compared outcomes in primipara and multipara women.
Word forms
| plural | primiparas |
|---|---|
| plural (Latin) | primiparae |
Common combinations
- elderly primipara
- An elderly primipara is closely monitored in many hospitals.
- young primipara
- The young primipara attended every antenatal class.
- labor of a primipara
- The labor of a primipara often lasts longer.
- term primipara
- She was a term primipara, with no complications.
Synonyms and how they differ
- first-time mother
- First-time mother is the everyday phrase, while primipara is used only in medical writing.
- para I
- Para I is a clinical shorthand with the same meaning as primipara.
Opposites
Word family
- primiparous adjective
- giving birth for the first time
- primiparity noun
- the state of having borne one child
- multipara noun
- a woman who has given birth more than once
- nullipara noun
- a woman who has not given birth
Commonly confused: primipara or primigravida?
primipara vs primigravida
A primigravida is a woman pregnant for the first time, who may not yet have given birth. A primipara has delivered.
Practice
Which term describes a woman who has already delivered more than once?
Choose one answer.
A multipara has had several births. A primipara has had one, a nullipara none, and a primigravida is pregnant for the first time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “primipara”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.