helicopter parent

noun

: a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child

Examples of helicopter parent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Compared to the jellyfish parent which can be permissive to a fault and the helicopter parent who might be too overbearing, the elephant parent is typically flexible and adaptable to their child’s needs. Anna Earl, Parents, 2 July 2025 Martinez spoke thoroughly on the topic of not being a helicopter parent, rather guiding children to their own results. Morgan Kromer, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2025 By his own admission, Ken was something of a helicopter parent. Tyler Hicks, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025 With James Austin Johnson returning as a free-range Trump and Mike Myers reprising his role as Musk hovering near the president like a wisecracking helicopter parent, the show followed the money. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for helicopter parent

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of helicopter parent was in 1989

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Cite this Entry

“Helicopter parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helicopter%20parent. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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