founding father

noun

1

: an originator of an institution or movement : founder

2

often Founding Father : a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

specifically : a member of the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

Synonyms of founding father

• founder
• creator
• father

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

Their actions weren’t legal under British law, and not all of the founding fathers supported the protest. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum. —NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026

Mir Hossein Mousavi, a founding father and the former prime minister of the Islamic Republic, is in his 15th year of house arrest. —Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026

Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers. —James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for founding father

• bother
• forefather
• godfather
• grandfather
• stepfather

Kids Definition

founding father

noun

found·​ing father

ˈfau̇n-diŋ-

1

: one that starts or helps to start an institution or a movement

2

often capitalized : a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

Legal Definition

founding father

noun

found·​ing fa·​ther

often capitalized both Fs

: a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

specifically : a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787