Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Maternity \Ma*ter"ni*ty\, n. [F. maternit['e], LL. maternitas.]
   The state of being a mother; the character or relation of a
   mother.

Source : WordNet®

maternity
     n 1: the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to
          birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her
          uterus [syn: {pregnancy}, {gestation}]
     2: the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother
        [syn: {motherhood}]
     3: the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth
        and affection of or befitting a mother; "the girl's
        motherliness made her invaluable in caring for the
        children" [syn: {motherliness}, {maternalism}, {maternal
        quality}]