father

1 of 2

noun

fa·​ther ˈfä-t͟hər How to pronounce father (audio)
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
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
the father of all libraries in the country
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
a council of the city fathers
fatherhood noun
fatherless adjective
fatherlike adjective or adverb

father

2 of 2

verb

fathered; fathering ˈfät͟h-riŋ How to pronounce father (audio)
ˈfä-t͟hə-

transitive verb

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 menJ. A. Williamson
3

intransitive verb

: to care for or look after someone as a father might

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 Web
Noun
Named for the Benedictine monk considered the spiritual father of Champagne, Dom Pérignon is produced only in the finest years and only as a single vintage. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024 Visiting Kinmen as a tourist today, Chiang recalls how his father did his military service there decades before, observing the Beishan Broadcasting Wall, a tower of speakers that blasted propaganda across the bay. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Physical therapists provided by nonprofits treated him at home, while medicines helped improve his condition, his father said. Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Miss Manners feels certain your husband will relinquish joint credit in his absence, rather than have to explain to strangers why someone else is posing as his child’s father. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The Saunders are Hasidic Jews, with Danny apparently destined to succeed his father as rabbi and authority figure. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024 His father died eight days before he was born in 1864, and he was raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, by his widowed mother, a small-businesswoman and a stalwart temperance advocate. Michael Jackman, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024 Eventually, his father’s employer essentially overruled the insurer and allowed coverage. Tom Murphy, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 From her work at the Detroit Historical Museum, Salminen-Witt pieced the puzzle together until the picture became clear: The Smiths, father and son, were being featured in two different exhibits simultaneously. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
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 Jony has fathered a Messiah-like infant, known as The Wain, who is destined to lead the 0s to global domination. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024 During his 17 years at the Buffalo Zoo, Koga fathered three infants. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Banff has since fathered four offspring with his new mate. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Feb. 2024 The Tesla mogul can’t be accused of not taking his advice to heart, having fathered at least eleven children with three women. Patrick T. Brown, National Review, 25 Jan. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of father was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near father

Cite this Entry

“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

father

1 of 2 noun
fa·​ther ˈfät͟h-ər How to pronounce father (audio)
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
fatherhood noun
fatherless adjective

father

2 of 2 verb
fathered; fathering ˈfät͟h-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce father (audio)
ˈfȧt͟h-
1
b
: to be the founder, producer, or author of
2
: to treat or care for someone as a father

More from Merriam-Webster on father

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