godfather

1 of 2

noun

god·​fa·​ther ˈgäd-ˌfä-t͟hər How to pronounce godfather (audio)
 also  ˈgȯd-
1
: a man who sponsors a person at baptism
2
: one having a relation to someone or something analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild: such as
a
: one that founds, supports, or inspires
made him the godfather of a whole generation of rebelsThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
b
: the leader of an organized crime syndicate

godfather

2 of 2

verb

godfathered; godfathering; godfathers

transitive verb

: to act as godfather to

Examples of godfather in a Sentence

Noun Her uncle is her godfather. Many people regard him as the godfather of rock and roll.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Released in 1970 with little fanfare and underwhelming sales, The Stooges’ influence slowly grew over the years until they were eventually crowned the godfathers of punk. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 Charles and Constantine enjoyed a close relationship, with the British royal even naming his cousin as godfather to his firstborn son, William. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 The chef has worked at Richard Sandoval’s restaurants, and regards Sandoval as a godfather of contemporary Mexican cuisine. Brittany Anas, The Denver Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Yet, one man who should be basking in the limelight as the godfather of this celebration of baseball is not there. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 Given that her dad is the executive producer of the music awards ceremony, some thought Ruby might make a cameo with her godfather to perform her now-iconic lines at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 But Hernandez’s godfather, Juan Quintero, told KTLA his godson was standing up for women who were being harassed at the restaurant by a group of men. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today. John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Tyler Gerth's godfather was Joe Gerth, a Courier Journal columnist. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 13 Feb. 2024
Verb
Murdoch’s political ally, godfather to one of Rupert’s young daughters with Deng – have to do with this? Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2022 Even the beginning is a little iffy: Where does godfather Drosselmeyer come from? John Anderson, WSJ, 9 Dec. 2021 The sons also took Murdaugh’s advice to hire attorney Cory Fleming to be executor of their mother’s estate without telling them Fleming was a longtime friend, old college roommate and godfather to at least one of Murdaugh’s sons. Jeffrey Collins, chicagotribune.com, 14 Oct. 2021 Hawkins, godfather to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, took teammates to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum whenever in Kansas City, decades before MLB officially recognized the leagues. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2021 Now Leroy could be dad first and coach second, while Lewis could be coach first and godfather second. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2020 Hosted by Sean, 44, the two-part documentary about his dad — who was tragically murdered outside his New York City apartment on Dec.8, 1980 — also features memories from his elder brother, Julian Lennon, and godfather Elton John. Phil Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 23 Sep. 2020 The new generation of progressives in the city, godfathered by Garcia, and represented in the March elections by Alma Anaya, Aaron Ortiz, and Beatriz Frausto, is a force to be reckoned with within the party. Jacqueline Serrato, chicagotribune.com, 25 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'godfather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of godfather was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near godfather

Cite this Entry

“Godfather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/godfather. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

godfather

noun
god·​fa·​ther
ˈgäd-ˌfät͟h-ər,
 also  ˈgȯd-
: a male sponsor at baptism
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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