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Glite Dictionary
nativity

nativity

1 7.6
The event of being born, the start of a person's life
  • noun
  • /nəˈtɪvɪti/
: natividad
  • La Union artisans make multipiece rodeos, fiestas, and nativity scenes.
  • parents' nativity
  • nativity of U.S.-born
  • nativity or age

But anyway, today I've got quite a festive day planned because it is Jackson's nativity performance today.

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Examples

  • The nativity of Jesus is celebrated every Christmas around the world.

  • Uh, nativity scene's up first.

    The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (2017)

  • And if he happens to know where the town's baby Jesus is, we're still missing it from the lawn nativity scene from last year.

    The Ref (1994)

  • We'd like to draw your attention to a nativity scene.

    13 Sins (2014)

  • We have a nativity play to rehearse.

    The Preacher's Wife (1996)

  • Many families set up a nativity scene at home to reflect on the story of Jesus' birth.

  • The artist created a beautiful mural depicting the nativity of the local hero.

Synonyms

birth
vsnativity
∞ 1.0

The process when a baby or young animal comes into the world

focuses on a person's origins and specific early life circumstances
blessed event
vsnativity
5 4.1

The birth of a baby seen as a special joyful event

is more neutral focusing on origins and circumstances rather than celebration
nascence
vsnativity
1 9.9

The time when something first begins to exist, like an idea or a civilization

is applied to a person's origins and specific circumstances rather than abstract beginning
nascency
vsnativity
1 9.9

The time when something first appears

is about a person's origins and circumstances not only abstract emergence
borning
vsnativity
  • Archaic
1 9.9

The time when a baby is born

is used for origins and circumstances rather than archaic or literary tone

Antonyms

death
∞ 1.0

The end of a living thing's life

Compounds

nativity scene
12 3.9

A model with small figures showing the birth of Jesus at Christmas

nativity story
1 4.3

The story of the birth of Jesus in the Christian Bible

Surface Forms

nativity singular
nativities plural

Morphology

nativity = native (semi-transparent) = native + ity

Formed from the adjective 'native' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity'; the connection to 'being born' is clear but the specialized sense 'the birth event' (as in the Nativity of Jesus) is a more specific usage.

Etymology

Nativity comes from the Latin word nasci, which means 'to be born', and it shares that root with the word native, a person who is born in a place. So nativity refers to the event or circumstances of a birth, which is why we use it for a newborn's birth or for the birth of Christ.