Meaning & use
pronatalist
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Encouraging people to have more children, especially through government policies.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'pronatalist policies'. Not usually used after a linking verb.
Patterns
- pronatalist policy
- pronatalist measures
- pronatalist propaganda
The government introduced pronatalist policies to raise the birth rate.
Some pronatalist measures, such as cash bonuses for babies, have had limited success.
Critics say pronatalist propaganda ignores the cost of raising children.
nouncountableformal
A person who supports policies that encourage people to have more children.
Grammar: Countable: 'a pronatalist', 'pronatalists'. Often used in the plural.
Patterns
- a pronatalist
- pronatalists argue
- supporters and pronatalists
Pronatalists argue that falling birth rates threaten the economy.
She describes herself as a pronatalist but supports family-friendly workplaces.
The debate between pronatalists and antinatalists has become more heated.
Word forms
| plural | pronatalists |
|---|
Common combinations
- pronatalist policy
- The country adopted a pronatalist policy to boost its population.
- pronatalist measures
- Tax breaks are among the pronatalist measures being considered.
- pronatalist stance
- The party took a pronatalist stance before the election.
- pronatalist propaganda
- The regime used pronatalist propaganda to encourage large families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pro-birth
- More informal and often critical; 'pronatalist' is the technical term used in demography.
- populationist
- Broader, referring to policies about population size in general, not only births.
Opposites
Word family
- pronatalism noun
- The belief or policy of encouraging more births.
- natalist adjective
- Relating to birth rates or policies about them.
- antinatalist adjective
- Opposed to having children or to policies that encourage births.
Commonly confused: pronatalist or pro-natal?
pronatalist vs pro-natal
A variant spelling with a hyphen; 'pronatalist' is the standard form for the person or policy.
Practice
The government's ______ policies offer cash payments to families with three or more children.
Choose one answer.
'Pronatalist' describes policies that encourage having children. 'Antinatalist' means the opposite; 'natal' relates to birth but does not imply encouragement; 'prenatal' means before birth.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pronatalist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.