father

¹fa·ther

noun \ˈfä-thər\

Definition of FATHER

1

a : a man who has begotten a child; also : sire 3 b capitalized (1) : god 1 (2) : the first person of the Trinity

2

: forefather

3

a : one related to another in a way suggesting that of father to child b : an old man —used as a respectful form of address

4

often capitalized : a pre-Scholastic Christian writer accepted by the church as an authoritative witness to its teaching and practice —called also church father

5

a : one that originates or institutes <the father of modern science> b : source <the sun, the father of warmth and light — Lena M. Whitney> c : prototype

6

: a priest of the regular clergy; broadly : priest —used especially as a title

7

: one of the leading men (as of a city) —usually used in plural

— fa·ther·hood \-ˌhu̇d\ noun

— fa·ther·less \-ləs\ adjective

— fa·ther·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective or adverb

Examples of FATHER

1. He became a father when he was 30.
2. He's the father of three small children.
3. He has been like a father to me.
4. He was a father to me after my own father died.

Origin of FATHER

Middle English fader, from Old English fæder; akin to Old High German fater father, Latin pater, Greek patēr

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to FATHER

Synonyms: dad, daddy, old man, pa, papa (also poppa), pater [chiefly British], pop, sire

Antonyms: descendant (also descendent)

Related Words: paterfamilias, patriarch; father figure, father image; stepfather

Near Antonyms: disciple, follower, pupil, student, supporter

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with FATHER

bother, pother