father figure
noun
: a person often of particular power or influence who serves as an emotional substitute for a father
Examples of father figure in a Sentence
The coach was a stern, wise father figure to his players.
Recent Examples on the Web
By then, Lucille had remarried Phillip, whom Shaq saw as his father figure.
—
Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
Editors’ Picks The accusations against Mr. Nash, who had served as a father figure to many of his athletes over the years, both on and off the water, were made public in 2023 when Ms. Fox told her story to The New York Times.
—Juliet MacUr, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
Blake Shelton loves being a father figure to wife Gwen Stefani's boys.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
The role turns on a dime between larger-than-life villain to kindly father figure, from smooth-talking charmer to impotent comic relief, and Slater tears into each facet of the character with bloodthirsty relish.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
One medical doctor told me that Bill had been the father figure ...
—Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 8 Apr. 2024
For younger patrons, the closure meant the loss of a kind of father figure.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
This young woman does not need a gaggle of gangly ’80s teens, a father figure, or a famous-detective older brother to bail her out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors said other deputies often tried to impress McAlpin, and Opdyke's attorney said Wednesday that his client saw McAlpin as a father figure.
—Michael Goldberg and Emily Wagster Pettus, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2024
Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
Editors’ Picks The accusations against Mr. Nash, who had served as a father figure to many of his athletes over the years, both on and off the water, were made public in 2023 when Ms. Fox told her story to The New York Times.
—Juliet MacUr, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
Blake Shelton loves being a father figure to wife Gwen Stefani's boys.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
The role turns on a dime between larger-than-life villain to kindly father figure, from smooth-talking charmer to impotent comic relief, and Slater tears into each facet of the character with bloodthirsty relish.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
One medical doctor told me that Bill had been the father figure ...
—Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 8 Apr. 2024
For younger patrons, the closure meant the loss of a kind of father figure.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
This young woman does not need a gaggle of gangly ’80s teens, a father figure, or a famous-detective older brother to bail her out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors said other deputies often tried to impress McAlpin, and Opdyke's attorney said Wednesday that his client saw McAlpin as a father figure.
—Michael Goldberg and Emily Wagster Pettus, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'father figure.' 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 father figure
Cite this Entry
“Father figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father%20figure. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
father figure
noun
fa·ther figure
ˈfät͟h-ər- 
: one often of particular power or influence who serves as an emotional substitute for a father
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