surrogate mother

surrogate mother definition - legal

n

A woman who bears a child for a couple that is unable to have children. Upon the childÂ’s birth, the surrogate mother gives up all rights and responsibilities to the child. Surrogate parenting contracts were in earlier times held to be illegal under laws that forbade selling of babies; still strictly regulated.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.