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

Many Cubans do not believe that Díaz-Canel holds much power in Cuba, anyway, as opposed to revolutionary founding father Raúl Castro and his family. —ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026

The epicenter of it all is the manor, home to the town's founding father, John, and his wife, Ruth. —Kim Hudson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026

Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government. —Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026

Evidence found in the DOJ files indicate that Epstein funded at least one other scientific conference, this one organized by Marvin Minsky, a mathematician considered to be a founding father of artificial intelligence. —Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 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