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miscarriage
/ˈmɪskəɹɪdʒ/
loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks
The doctor confirmed the miscarriage after the ultrasound.
The doctor verified the pregnancy loss before 20 weeks.
Medicine
Medical
The spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable (typically before 20 weeks).
She experienced a miscarriage in her first trimester.
She lost the pregnancy during the first three months.
Recurrent miscarriages may indicate underlying health issues.
Frequent pregnancy losses might signal medical problems.
Also called spontaneous abortion in medical contexts, though 'miscarriage' is the preferred term.
informal
A failure or setback in a plan or process.
The project suffered a miscarriage of justice when the contract was unfairly canceled.
The project experienced an unfair failure when the contract was terminated.
This figurative meaning is less common and often considered outdated.
Collocations
miscarriage of justicean unfair legal outcomerecurrent miscarriagerepeated pregnancy losses
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Medical vs. Figurative Use
Use 'miscarriage' carefully in non-medical contexts to avoid unintended offense.
Gold Rule
Terminology Preference
In medical contexts, 'miscarriage' is preferred over 'spontaneous abortion.'
Word Origin
From Middle English 'miscarriage,' from 'mis-' (bad) + 'carriage' (pregnancy).
Usage Notes
The term is primarily used in medical contexts to describe pregnancy loss. The figurative meaning is rare and often avoided due to potential insensitivity.
Word Breakdown
mis-
bad, wrong
prefixcarriage
pregnancy (archaic)
rootEnglish Dictionary