nativity
noun
na·tiv·i·ty
nə-ˈti-və-tē 
nā-
plural nativities
1
: the process or circumstances of being born : birth
especially,
Nativity
: the birth of Jesus
2
: a horoscope at or of the time of one's birth
3
: the place of origin
Did you know?
Nativity is one of many words born of the Latin verb nāscī, which means “to be born.” The gestation of the word was a long one. Nāscī developed in Late Latin into nativitas, meaning “birth,” which passed through Anglo-French as nativité before entering English in the 14th century. Nativity has many siblings and cousins in our language; other terms of the lineage of nāscī include nature, innate, nascent, native, and renaissance.
Examples of nativity in a Sentence
my father and grandparents were proud observers of my nativity
Recent Examples on the Web
If episode three gave us Alfonso Cuarón’s Pietà, this is his nativity.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
More than 100 stalls sell their wares at Plaza Mayor Christmas Market, welcoming travelers in to peruse nativity scene figures, children’s toys, and playful trinkets to take home.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2024
There’s a very good setpiece involving an out of control golf cart and a large-scale nativity scene.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
The scenes of the era were both divine and mundane, from Hans Memling’s luminous nativity scene, circa 1480, to Bruegel’s depiction of an angry wife hauling home her intoxicated husband, circa 1620.
—Osman Can Yerebakan, CNN, 15 Aug. 2024
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Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
More than 100 stalls sell their wares at Plaza Mayor Christmas Market, welcoming travelers in to peruse nativity scene figures, children’s toys, and playful trinkets to take home.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2024
There’s a very good setpiece involving an out of control golf cart and a large-scale nativity scene.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
The scenes of the era were both divine and mundane, from Hans Memling’s luminous nativity scene, circa 1480, to Bruegel’s depiction of an angry wife hauling home her intoxicated husband, circa 1620.
—Osman Can Yerebakan, CNN, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nativity
Dictionary Entries Near nativity
Cite this Entry
“Nativity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nativity. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nativity
noun
na·tiv·i·ty
nə-ˈtiv-ət-ē
nā-
plural nativities
1
capitalized
: the birth of Jesus
2
: the time, place, or manner of being born : birth
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