Standard Lemma guide

surrogacy

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈsɝəɡəsi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsʌɹəɡəsi/
  • CMU ARPABET: S ER1 AH0 G AH0 S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or condition of being a surrogate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, rare, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The practice of being a surrogate mother.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From surrog(ate) + -acy.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: gestació per substitució — surrogate motherhood
  • Danish: rugemoderskab — surrogate motherhood
  • Dutch: draagmoederschap — surrogate motherhood
  • Finnish: sijaissynnytys — surrogate motherhood
  • French: gestation pour autrui — surrogate motherhood
  • French: GPA — surrogate motherhood
  • German: Leihmutterschaft — surrogate motherhood
  • German: Tragemutterschaft — surrogate motherhood
  • German: Ersatzmutterschaft — surrogate motherhood
  • Hungarian: béranyaság — surrogate motherhood
  • Icelandic: staðgöngumæðrun — surrogate motherhood
  • Interlingua: maternitate subrogate — surrogate motherhood
  • Italian: maternità surrogata — surrogate motherhood
  • Norwegian Bokmål: surrogati — surrogate motherhood
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: surrogati — surrogate motherhood
  • Polish: surogacja — surrogate motherhood
  • Spanish: gestación subrogada — surrogate motherhood
  • Spanish: maternidad subrogada — surrogate motherhood
  • Spanish: gestación por sustitución — surrogate motherhood
  • Spanish: vientre de alquiler — surrogate motherhood
  • Swedish: surrogatmödraskap — surrogate motherhood
  • Swedish: värdmödraskap — surrogate motherhood
  • Thai: การอุ้มบุญ (gaan-ûm-bun) — surrogate motherhood
  • Thai: การตั้งครรภ์แทน — surrogate motherhood
  • Finnish: sijaissynnytys — act of substitution
  • French: subrogation — act of substitution
  • Interlingua: subrogation — act of substitution
  • Italian: surrogazione — act of substitution
  • Italian: surroga — act of substitution
  • Italian: surrogamento — act of substitution
  • Latin: subrogatio — act of substitution
  • Polish: surogacja — act of substitution
  • Spanish: subrogación — act of substitution