founding father
noun
1
: an originator of an institution or movement : founder
2
often capitalized both Fs
: a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.
specifically
: a member of the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
Examples of founding father in a Sentence
a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers
Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism.
Recent Examples on the Web
No, what makes this French-language show about French history so extra, incredibly French is the namesake protagonist: a dashing, seductive, single-earring-wearing spy who also happens to be a founding father of haute cuisine.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and John Dewey are generally seen as the movement’s founding fathers.
—Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
However, right in Capcom’s backyard of Osaka, an outfit calling itself Shin Nihon Kikaku, or SNK, was cultivating a Street Fighter rival of its own, bringing with them a secret weapon — a founding father from the original Street Fighter‘s development team — to do it.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
Alexander Hamilton, a founding father who advocated for strong federal government and economic modernization, laid out a roadmap for government intervention in 1791 to foster domestic manufacturing.
— Made By History, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and John Dewey are generally seen as the movement’s founding fathers.
—Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
However, right in Capcom’s backyard of Osaka, an outfit calling itself Shin Nihon Kikaku, or SNK, was cultivating a Street Fighter rival of its own, bringing with them a secret weapon — a founding father from the original Street Fighter‘s development team — to do it.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
Alexander Hamilton, a founding father who advocated for strong federal government and economic modernization, laid out a roadmap for government intervention in 1791 to foster domestic manufacturing.
— Made By History, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/founding%20father. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share