Lost a pregnancy unintentionally before the fetus could survive outside the womb; or failed to achieve intended results.
From 'miscarry,' combining the prefix 'mis-' (badly) and 'carry.' Originally meant 'to carry off or away,' then evolved to mean 'to go wrong' or 'to fail in pregnancy.'
Miscarriage is more common than most people realize—roughly 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, often from completely unavoidable biological reasons, yet historically the word implied failure, which added emotional trauma to an already difficult medical event.
Medical/reproductive term historically freighted with moral judgment: women who miscarried were blamed ('failed' motherhood) while male reproductive contribution was ignored. Cultural shame attached disproportionately to women, obscuring biology.
Use 'pregnancy loss' or 'miscarriage' in clinical contexts; acknowledge this is a biological event, not a personal failure. Avoid language implying maternal culpability.
["pregnancy loss","spontaneous abortion (medical)","fetal loss"]
Women's reproductive experiences were historically pathologized as moral failures; accurate medical language centered on biology rather than judgment restores agency and removes unwarranted shame.
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