founder

1 of 4

noun (1)

found·​er ˈfau̇n-dər 

: one that founds or establishes

the founder of a company

the founder of psychoanalysis

founder

2 of 4

verb

foun·​der ˈfau̇n-dər 

foundered; foundering ˈfau̇n-d(ə-)riŋ  ; founders

intransitive verb

1

of a horse : to become disabled

especially : to go lame

His horse foundered while he was still five miles from home.

2

: to give way : collapse

Every once in a while, perhaps as a consequence of small earthquakes or other tectonic movements … these muddy banks foundered and slid into the adjoining stagnant basin …

—Stephen Jay Gould

3

: to become submerged : sink

In the early hours of the 7th of December, a German liner named the Deutschland, sailing from Bremen to New York, foundered and broke up on the Kentish coast.

—Guy Davenport

4

: to encounter misfortune : fail

They were Hollywood's happiest couple right up to the moment the marriage foundered.

—John Gregory Dunne

transitive verb

: to disable (a domesticated animal, such as a horse or cow) especially as a result of excessive feeding or poor nutrition : to cause founder in

It can be caused by excess sugar in the horses' diet. … new spring grass is the most sugar-filled and, therefore, the most likely to founder a horse.

—Desirai Schild

founder

3 of 4

noun (2)

foun·​der ˈfau̇n-dər 

: inflammation of and damage to the laminae (see lamina sense 4) and coffin bone in the hoof of a domesticated animal (such as a horse or cow) that is typically caused by poor diet, obesity, or diseases associated with inflammation : laminitis

The laminae are what hold the bone to the hoof. When they become compromised and inflamed, they cause severe pain and lameness. If they start to separate from the bone, it will cause sinking of the bone within the hoof which is called founder …

—Lainie Kringen-Scholtz

founder

4 of 4

noun (3)

found·​er ˈfau̇n-dər 

: one that founds metal

especially : typefounder

Did you know?

Founder is related to Latin fundus, meaning "bottom" or "base." When something "founders," it usually hits the bottom in one sense or another. When a ship founders, it sinks to the bottom of the sea, for example, and if your endeavor is foundering, it isn't doing well and is therefore headed downward.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• creator
• author
• father
• inventor

Verb

• collapse
• flop
• fail
• fold
• strike out
• struggle
• miss
• come up empty
• fall flat

Examples of founder in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Maria Montessori was the founder of an educational system dedicated to maximizing a child's creative potential

Verb

Her career foundered, and she moved from job to job for several years.

trying to save a foundering career

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The billionaire Amazon founder has been forced to relocate his three-day extravaganza in Venice, following protests in the city. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 June 2025

The founders who embrace this new paradigm in 2025 could leave their competition wondering where all the deals went. —Andrew Dunn, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Verb

The mad scramble for funding sources to plug the transit agencies’ $770 million budget hole foundered, as rank-and-file lawmakers, stakeholders and most importantly the public were given no time for due consideration and feedback. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025

That distinction was not clear in previous versions of the legislation, which led to concern that schools would not be able to involve police in serious matters — and was a key reason legislation on ticketing foundered in previous legislative sessions. —Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English foundour, borrowed from Anglo-French fundur, foundour, going back to Latin fundātor, from fundāre "to found entry 4" + -tor, agent suffix

Verb

Middle English fondrer "to fall to the ground, stumble, sink," borrowed from Anglo-French fundrer "to destroy," probably back-formation from enfondrer, esfondrer, affondrer "to sink, send to the bottom," prefixed forms based on Old French -fondrer, going back to Vulgar Latin *-fundorāre, verbal derivative of Late Latin fundor-, variant stem of Latin fundus "bottom, base" — more at bottom entry 1

Note: The simple verb fundrer (as opposed to prefixed forms) is marginally attested in Anglo-French, its senses partially merged with fondre going back to Latin fundere (see found entry 5), which in addition to its basic meanings "to pour, cast" had already in Classical Latin the extended meanings "to scatter, disperse, rout" and "to lay low, slay."

Noun (2)

derivative of founder entry 2

Noun (3)

Middle English foundour, borrowed from Anglo-French foundur, foundour, from fondre "to melt, cast, found entry 5" + -ur, -our -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1547, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing founder

• co-founder
• founder effect

Rhymes for founder

• flounder
• pounder
• rounder
• sounder
• cofounder
• compounder
• expounder
• profounder

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Kids Definition

founder

1 of 3 noun

found·​er ˈfau̇n-dər 

: one that founds or establishes

founder

2 of 3 verb

foun·​der ˈfau̇n-dər 

foundered; foundering -d(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to become lame

the horse foundered

2

: to sink below the surface of the water

a foundering ship

founder

3 of 3 noun

found·​er

: one that founds metal

Etymology

Verb

Middle English foundren "to fall to the ground, sink," from early French fondrer (same meaning), derived from Latin fundere "to pour, cast, disperse, lay low" — related to font entry 2, found entry 3

Medical Definition

founder

1 of 2 verb

foun·​der ˈfau̇n-dər 

foundered; foundering -d(ə-)riŋ  ; founders

intransitive verb

of a horse

: to become disabled

especially : to go lame

transitive verb

: to disable (a domesticated animal, such as a horse or cow), especially as a result of excessive feeding or poor nutrition : to cause laminitis in

founder

2 of 2 noun

foun·​der

: inflammation of and damage to the laminae (see lamina sense b) and coffin bone in the hoof of a domesticated animal (such as a horse or cow) that is typically caused by poor diet, obesity, or diseases associated with inflammation : laminitis

Legal Definition

founder

noun

found·​er

: one that founds or establishes: as

a

: one that establishes a foundation

b

: founding father