breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd 
variants
or breast-feed
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
1
: to breastfeed a baby
… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …—
Lauren Sandler
Lauren Sandler2
of a baby
: to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast
breastfed
adjective
or breast-fed
breastfed babies
breastfeeder
noun
or breast-feeder
breastfeeding
noun
or breast-feeding
Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence
believes that all women should breast-feed their babies
Recent Examples on the Web
However, as with any caffeinated beverage, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should limit their intake.9
Green tea extracts, which are supplements or pills containing extremely high levels of green tea compounds, have more health risks than the green tea beverage.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 14 July 2025
That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
In both clinics, more than 700 pregnant and breastfeeding women and nearly 500 children with severe and moderate malnutrition are enrolled in outpatient therapeutic feeding centers, according to the group.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 13 July 2025
Furthermore, while retinoids are not advised for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, Dr. Zeichner notes that in independent clinical trials, Elastic-Cream was found to help firm and boost collagen, two benefits beloved by retinol fans.
—Erin Bunch, Glamour, 9 July 2025
Despite having more complex reproductive organs and the burdensome, sometimes fatal, functions that come with them — menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding — female bodies tend to outlast male bodies.
—Starre Vartan, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
In a contemporary context, intense pressure on breastfeeding in the United States is coupled with equal cultural pressure to avoid breastfeeding in public.
—Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
And, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to avoid fish oil supplements altogether due to the potential for inadvertently consuming too much mercury.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 23 June 2025
Medical professionals, including naturopaths, recommend breastfeeding a baby during their first six months of life for optimal nutrition, or using formula almost exclusively.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 14 July 2025
That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
In both clinics, more than 700 pregnant and breastfeeding women and nearly 500 children with severe and moderate malnutrition are enrolled in outpatient therapeutic feeding centers, according to the group.
—Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 13 July 2025
Furthermore, while retinoids are not advised for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, Dr. Zeichner notes that in independent clinical trials, Elastic-Cream was found to help firm and boost collagen, two benefits beloved by retinol fans.
—Erin Bunch, Glamour, 9 July 2025
Despite having more complex reproductive organs and the burdensome, sometimes fatal, functions that come with them — menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding — female bodies tend to outlast male bodies.
—Starre Vartan, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
In a contemporary context, intense pressure on breastfeeding in the United States is coupled with equal cultural pressure to avoid breastfeeding in public.
—Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
And, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to avoid fish oil supplements altogether due to the potential for inadvertently consuming too much mercury.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 23 June 2025
Medical professionals, including naturopaths, recommend breastfeeding a baby during their first six months of life for optimal nutrition, or using formula almost exclusively.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
variants
or breast-feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
1
: to breastfeed a baby
2
of a baby
: to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast
breastfed
adjective
or breast-fed
breastfed babies
breastfeeder
noun
or breast-feeder
This class for first-time breastfeeders will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
—The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal
The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal
On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
breastfeeding
noun
or breast-feeding
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