Definition of founder
:one that founds or establishes
- the founder of a company
- the founder of psychoanalysis
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Origin and Etymology of founder
Middle English foundour, borrowed from Anglo-French fundur, foundour, going back to Latin fundātor, from fundāre "to 4found" + -tor, agent suffix
Examples of founder in a Sentence
Her career foundered, and she moved from job to job for several years.
trying to save a foundering career
Did You Know?
Founder comes from Middle English foundren, meaning "to send to the bottom or "collapse." That word came from the Middle French verb fondrer, and ultimately from the Latin noun fundus, meaning "bottom." When something "founders," it usually hits the bottom in one sense or another. A foundering horse - that is, a disabled one - is likely to collapse to the ground. When a ship founders, it sinks to the bottom of the sea. "Founder" has a broader, figurative sense, too - if your marriage or your career is foundering it isn't doing well and is therefore headed downward.
Origin and Etymology of founder
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 1bottom
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 5found), 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."
founder Synonyms
Synonyms
bomb, collapse, crater, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, fail, miss, strike out, tank, wash outAntonyms
click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work outRelated Words
flounder, struggle; decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane; crash, crumble, miscarry, misfire; go under; implode, self-destructNear Antonyms
cook, flourish, prosper, thrive; prevail, triumph, winOrigin and Etymology of founder
Definition of founder
:one that founds metal;
especially
:typefounder
FOUNDER Defined for English Language Learners
founder
play
verb
Definition of founder for English Language Learners
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: to experience failure : to be unsuccessful
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of a boat or ship : to fill with water and sink
FOUNDER Defined for Kids
Definition of founder for Students
:a person who creates or establishes something
- the country's founders
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
founder
noun
found·er
legal Definition of founder
Learn More about founder
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See words that rhyme with founder Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for founder Spanish Central: Translation of founder Nglish: Translation of founder for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of founder for Arabic speakers
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