plural fathers
1
a(1)
: a male parent
(2)
: a man who has begotten a child
also
: a male animal who has sired an offspring
b
capitalized
(1)
(2)
: the first person of the Trinity (see Trinity sense 1)
2
: forefather
the founding fathers
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 (see scholastic sense 1a) Christian writer accepted by the church as an authoritative witness to its teaching and practice
called also church father
5
6
: a priest of the regular clergy
7
: one of the leading men (as of a city)
—usually used in plural
a council of the city fathers
fathered; fathering
ˈfät͟h-riŋ 
ˈfä-t͟hə-
1
a
: beget
b
: to be the founder, producer, or author of
fathered the improvement plan
c
: to accept responsibility for
2
a
: to fix the paternity or origin of
b
: to place responsibility for the origin or cause of
collected gossip and fathered it on responsible men—
J. A. Williamson
J. A. Williamson
: to care for or look after someone as a father might
Synonyms
Examples of father in a Sentence
Noun
He became a father when he was 30.
He's the father of three small children.
He has been like a father to me.
He was a father to me after my own father died.
Verb
He was praised for fathering a plan to improve the city's schools.
Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered.
Recent Examples on the WebJeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2024
His mother was a machinist and his father a bus driver.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Apr. 2024
Ball said there would be nothing wrong with Anderson's father entering the home once it was released as a crime scene.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, James, fought in the European theater during World War II.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
The father of eight who was engaged to be married didn't show up for his shift at Mercy Hospital on May 21, 2023, prompting a search.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, Bertram, was a bus driver, and his mother, Gladys (Lay) Pinder, was a barmaid.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The 47-year-old father was declared dead at a hospital.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
His son, Charles Albert Cannon, took over operations after his father died in 1921.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Pat Saperstein, Variety, 30 Mar. 2024
Shortly before the birth of his twin daughters, Combs fathered another daughter, Chance Combs, 18, with businesswoman Sarah Chapman.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Mar. 2024
Shortly before the birth of his twin daughters, Combs fathered another daughter, Chance Combs, 18, with Sarah Chapman.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Friends said the victim had three young children, two of them fathered by Boykins.
—City News Service, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Whom would you rather be fathered by, Job or Yahweh?
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
While in Georgia, Afari also fathered a child, according to court documents.
—The Enquirer, 18 Jan. 2024
Simon fathered three children and resumed his work as a plasterer.
—Graham Womack, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
The 10th president fathered 15 children, more than any other.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
Kimani Vidal — running back 5 feet 8, 213 pounds, Troy, Round 6, Pick 181
Advertisement
Notable: His father was a running back at Florida A&M in the early 1990s.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2024
His mother was a machinist and his father a bus driver.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Apr. 2024
Ball said there would be nothing wrong with Anderson's father entering the home once it was released as a crime scene.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, James, fought in the European theater during World War II.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024
The father of eight who was engaged to be married didn't show up for his shift at Mercy Hospital on May 21, 2023, prompting a search.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, Bertram, was a bus driver, and his mother, Gladys (Lay) Pinder, was a barmaid.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The 47-year-old father was declared dead at a hospital.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
His son, Charles Albert Cannon, took over operations after his father died in 1921.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Verb
Nagel is said to have fathered at least 138 children, but the film doesn’t come down on whether this has any moral or genetic ramificatins, though on screen Nagel’s elderly mother loudly declares her opposition to the idea.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 30 Mar. 2024
Shortly before the birth of his twin daughters, Combs fathered another daughter, Chance Combs, 18, with businesswoman Sarah Chapman.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Mar. 2024
Shortly before the birth of his twin daughters, Combs fathered another daughter, Chance Combs, 18, with Sarah Chapman.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Friends said the victim had three young children, two of them fathered by Boykins.
—City News Service, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Whom would you rather be fathered by, Job or Yahweh?
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
While in Georgia, Afari also fathered a child, according to court documents.
—The Enquirer, 18 Jan. 2024
Simon fathered three children and resumed his work as a plasterer.
—Graham Womack, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024
The 10th president fathered 15 children, more than any other.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'father.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to father
Dictionary Entries Near father
Cite this Entry
“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
father
1 of 2 noun
fa·ther
ˈfät͟h-ər
ˈfȧth-
1
a
: a male parent
b
capitalized
: god sense 1
c
capitalized
: the first person of the Christian Trinity
2
3
: a man who cares for another as a father might
4
: a man who invents or begins something
the father of modern science
5
: priest
—used especially as a title
father
2 of 2 verb
fathered; fathering
ˈfät͟h-(ə-)riŋ
ˈfȧt͟h-
1
a
b
: to be the founder, producer, or author of
2
: to treat or care for someone as a father
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