father

1 of 2

noun (1)

fa·​ther ˈfä-t͟hər 

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 Father

(1)

: god sense 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 Father : 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

ˈfä-t͟hər-ˌhu̇d 

noun

fatherless

ˈfä-t͟hər-ləs 

adjective

fatherlike

ˈfä-t͟hər-ˌlīk 

adjective or adverb

fatherhood

2 of 2

noun (2)

fa·​ther·​hood

plural -s

1

: the quality or state of being a father : the character or authority of a father : paternity

2

usually capitalized : Godhood in its paternal aspect

Synonyms of father

Noun (1)

• dad
• daddy

Examples of father in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His father was a bombardier-navigator who was among the first American bombers during World War II to land at Soviet airfields to refuel and rearm, enabling the Allies to reach distant German targets. —Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office released new details in the murder-suicide of a mother, father, and their two daughters found inside a Doral home on Tuesday night. —Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 4 June 2026

Invest your energies there, rather than in trying to debate with your mother or inserting yourself into the conflict between your father and this man. —R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 4 June 2026

The first image in the carousel shows Lilibet being held in the arms of her father, Prince Harry, while her smiling mom looks on. —Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Middle English faderhod, from fader + -hod -hood

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Phrases Containing father

• birth father
• church father
• city father
• father figure
• father image
• father-in-law
• foster mother/father
• founding father
• single father

Rhymes for father

• bother
• forefather
• godfather
• grandfather
• stepfather

Kids 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

: ancestor sense 1

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

-ˌhu̇d 

noun

fatherless

-ləs 

adjective

father

2 of 2 verb

fathered; fathering ˈfät͟h-(ə-)riŋ 

ˈfȧt͟h-

1

a

: beget sense 1

b

: to be the founder, producer, or author of

2

: to treat or care for someone as a father