Home › Words › M › motheringmotheringmothering means the nurturing of a child by its mother.EtymologyBy surface analysis, mother + -ing.nounThe nurturing of a child by its mother.e.g.“The unification or bringing together of disparate things […] which Mrs Ramsay seeks to achieve by marryings and motherings […]” — 1996, Rachel Bowlby, Feminist Destinations and Further Essays on Virginia Woolf:The protective behavior of a mother towards her child.Nurturing or protective behavior reminiscent of that performed by a literal mother.e.g.“The institution in the past has done monumental work harboring the homeless, mothering the homeless, mothering the motherless, caring for the poor and dependent” — 1912, “The Mother's Pension Law”, in The Journal of the International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, volume 24, page 1025:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.motherment 78% match — mothering; maternal care vs mothering →motheringly 74% match — In a mothering manner; maternally; so as to coddle. vs mothering →motherness 73% match — The state or quality of being a mother. vs mothering →motheriness 71% match — The quality of being mothery. vs mothering →motherlove 69% match — Maternal love. vs mothering →parenting 68% match — The process of raising and educating a child from birth until adulthood. vs mothering →motherliness 68% match — The property of being motherly. vs mothering →mommyhood 66% match — Motherhood. vs mothering →