Definition

1. Adjective:
   • (Of a newborn infant) showing signs of life after birth; not stillborn: The term "liveborn" describes a baby who, upon delivery, exhibits any evidence of life, such as breathing, heartbeat, or voluntary muscle movement, as opposed to being born dead (stillborn).

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The hospital reported a high rate of liveborn infants this quarter.
  • It was a great relief to the parents when the doctor confirmed the baby was liveborn.
  • The study compares health outcomes for liveborn twins versus stillborn twins.

Advanced Usage

• Medical/Legal Context: The term is primarily used in medical, statistical, and legal contexts to formally categorize births. It is a crucial distinction in vital statistics and epidemiology.
  • The certificate must clearly state whether the child was liveborn or stillborn.

Variants and Related Words

• Live birth (n): The event of giving birth to a liveborn infant.
  • The country's live birth rate has increased.
• Stillborn (adj): (Of an infant) born dead.
  • This is the antonym of "liveborn."

Synonyms

• Born alive: A more descriptive phrase with the same meaning.

Notes on Usage

• "Liveborn" is a compound adjective. It is typically used attributively (before a noun, e.g., "a liveborn baby") rather than predicatively (after a linking verb).
• It is a formal, technical term. In everyday conversation, one would more commonly say a baby "was born alive."

Adjective

1. (of newborn infant) showing signs of life after birth; not stillborn
   • a liveborn baby