1
: having, relating to, or being the relationship between a foster parent and the child who the foster parent cares for
Although both girls lived with Ms. Ayala, Millison was the only one who was officially placed in her care as a foster child.—
Ian Fisher
Ian FisherTwenty-three foster children now have a place to call home and family of their own following the Adoption Day at the Williamson County Courthouse in Marion on Friday.—Holly Kee
Holly Keea foster mother/father
her new foster brother/sister
living with a foster family
children in foster care
foster parenting
the foster system
2
: being, relating to, or involved in a situation in which temporary care is given to an animal (such as one that is injured or awaiting adoption) in a household or similar setting
foster pets
a foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
found foster placements for the animals
For the past year, Melbourne social impact strategy consultant Lee Crockford has been a foster dad to Romeo, an adorable Labrador puppy and future seeing eye dog.—Shannon Molloy
Shannon Molloysee also foster home
fostered; fostering
ˈfȯ-st(ə-)riŋ 
ˈfä-
; fosters
1
a
: to act as a foster parent to (a child)
The couple said they get … updates and pictures from all the children they've fostered.—Patrick Edrich
Patrick Edrich
b
: to provide temporary care to (an animal that is injured, homeless, etc.) in a household or similar setting
… it's just her luck she'd find a partner who not only adores dogs but fosters them for a Sacramento animal shelter.—Gina Kim
Gina Kim2
: to promote the growth or development of : encourage
policies that foster cooperation
a lack of communication that fostered distrust
Grilling meat fosters the formation of potentially cancer-causing heterocyclic amines …—J. Raloff
J. RaloffThe dead grass rotted in the warm water, releasing nutrients that fostered algae.—Carl Hiaasen
Carl HiaasenSynonyms
Examples of foster in a Sentence
Verb
Such conditions foster the spread of the disease.
Would you consider fostering a child?
Recent Examples on the WebGlenn Thrush Carlos Javier Ortiz, New York Times, 5 May 2024
Haddish and her four younger half-siblings ended up in foster care.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Anh Lê San Francisco Support foster system to meet kids’ needs
There are roughly 4,100 children in foster care in the Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024
As a result, the state denied the application to adopt foster siblings.
—Jim Daly, The Denver Post, 1 May 2024
More than 600,000 children move through the U.S. foster care system in a single year, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau.
—Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Kinship caregivers nationwide save the child welfare system more than $6.5 billion in formal foster care costs.
—Jennifer Brookland, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
One of the biggest returning participants is a summer camp for foster children.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
However, the state’s data show that foster youth enrolled at college within a year of high school graduation 20% less often than non-foster youth.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 May 2024
The goal is to reach as many kids as possible to not only educate them and foster a love of animals, but to help kids develop.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
Actively seeking opportunities to offer assistance or support to others while pursuing potential connections that may benefit oneself fosters a culture of reciprocity and collaboration within the networking community.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 6 May 2024
One of them was the 100th pup in the fostering program, a significant milestone in Mexican wolf recovery.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
So fostering chemistry between Hauer-King and Próchniak was a focus from early rehearsals.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 May 2024
Through its lyrics and melodies, the song celebrates the diversity and resilience of Houston’s communities, fostering a sense of belonging and unity among its residents.
—Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 2 May 2024
Tree Treks is a community program that connects San Diego residents with their neighbors and their local parks and trails while fostering an interest in trees and native plants.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2024
The program provided $1,000 monthly payments to foster youth between 21 to 24 years old who struggled to find housing and jobs.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Days after his birth, he was taken in by Lisa Barker Johnson, a foster mother in her 30s who lived in Zion, Ill., a working-class city halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee.
—Glenn Thrush Carlos Javier Ortiz, New York Times, 5 May 2024
Haddish and her four younger half-siblings ended up in foster care.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Anh Lê San Francisco Support foster system to meet kids’ needs
There are roughly 4,100 children in foster care in the Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024
As a result, the state denied the application to adopt foster siblings.
—Jim Daly, The Denver Post, 1 May 2024
More than 600,000 children move through the U.S. foster care system in a single year, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau.
—Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Kinship caregivers nationwide save the child welfare system more than $6.5 billion in formal foster care costs.
—Jennifer Brookland, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
One of the biggest returning participants is a summer camp for foster children.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
However, the state’s data show that foster youth enrolled at college within a year of high school graduation 20% less often than non-foster youth.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Verb
Chatting can spark new ideas, foster a sense of belonging, and create a culture of mutual exchange.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 May 2024
The goal is to reach as many kids as possible to not only educate them and foster a love of animals, but to help kids develop.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
Actively seeking opportunities to offer assistance or support to others while pursuing potential connections that may benefit oneself fosters a culture of reciprocity and collaboration within the networking community.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 6 May 2024
One of them was the 100th pup in the fostering program, a significant milestone in Mexican wolf recovery.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
So fostering chemistry between Hauer-King and Próchniak was a focus from early rehearsals.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 May 2024
Through its lyrics and melodies, the song celebrates the diversity and resilience of Houston’s communities, fostering a sense of belonging and unity among its residents.
—Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 2 May 2024
Tree Treks is a community program that connects San Diego residents with their neighbors and their local parks and trails while fostering an interest in trees and native plants.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2024
The program provided $1,000 monthly payments to foster youth between 21 to 24 years old who struggled to find housing and jobs.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near foster
Cite this Entry
“Foster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foster. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
foster
1 of 2 adjective
fos·ter
ˈfȯs-tər
ˈfäs-
: giving, receiving, or sharing parental care even though not related by blood or legal ties
foster parent
foster child
Biographical Definition
Foster 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Fos·ter
ˈfȯ-stər
ˈfä-
Stephen Collins 1826–1864 American songwriter
Foster
2 of 2biographical name (2)
William Z(ebulon) 1881–1961 American Communist
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