daughter

1 of 2

noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯ-tər 

ˈdä-

plural daughters

1

a

: a female offspring especially of human parents

b

: a female adopted child

c

: a human female descendant

2

: something considered as a daughter

the United States is a daughter of Great Britain

3

chemistry : an atomic species (see species entry 1 sense 1e) that is the product of the radioactive decay (see decay entry 2 sense 5a) of a given element

radon, the daughter of radium

daughterhood

ˈdȯ-tər-ˌhu̇d 

ˈdä-

noun

daughterless

ˈdȯ-tər-ləs 

ˈdä-

adjective

daughter

2 of 2

adjective

1

: having the characteristics or relationship of a daughter (see daughter entry 1 sense 1)

2

biology : belonging to the first generation of offspring, organelles, or molecules produced by reproduction, division, or replication

a daughter cell

daughter DNA molecules

Examples of daughter in a Sentence

Noun

We have a daughter and two sons.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Due to her status as the only daughter to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Princess Anne's children — Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall — weren't guaranteed royal titles. —Alex Apatoff, People.com, 15 July 2025

This was a particularly meaningful case for Matty, given that her daughter died from an overdose. —Mekishana Pierre Published, EW.com, 15 July 2025

The public version of her backstory is one of personal loss: widowed and left financially devastated by her husband’s gambling, she’s forced to raise her grandson after the death of her daughter in a car accident. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 July 2025

Kutina defended her decision to live off the grid with her daughters in an interview with India’s ANI news agency, describing a life of swimming in waterfalls, painting and doing pottery. —Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 15 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, doughter, from Old English dohtor; akin to Old High German tohter daughter, Greek thygatēr

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing daughter

• daughter-in-law
• prodigal son/daughter

Rhymes for daughter

• blotter
• cotter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• spotter
• squatter
• totter
• trotter

Kids Definition

daughter

1 of 2 noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯt-ər 

1

a

: a female offspring especially of parents that are human beings

b

: a female adopted child

2

: something considered as a daughter

3

: a form of an element that is the product of the radioactive decay of another element

daughterly

-lē

adjective

daughter

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having the characteristics or relationship of a daughter

daughter cities

2

: being first generation offspring

daughter cells

Medical Definition

daughter

1 of 2 noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯt-ər 

1

a

: a human female having the relation of child to a parent

b

: a female offspring of an animal

2

: an atomic species that is the product of the radioactive decay of a given element

radon is the daughter of radium

daughter

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having the characteristics or relationship of a daughter

2

: belonging to the first generation of offspring, organelles, or molecules produced by reproduction, division, or replication

a daughter cell

daughter chromosomes