orphan

1 of 2

noun

or·​phan ˈȯr-fən How to pronounce orphan (audio)
1
: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents
He became an orphan when his parents died in a car accident.
2
: a young animal that has lost its mother
feeding calves that are orphans
3
: one deprived of some protection or advantage
orphans of the storm
refugee orphans of the war
4
: a first line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the bottom of a printed page or column
orphan adjective
orphanhood noun

orphan

2 of 2

verb

orphaned; orphaning ˈȯr-fə-niŋ How to pronounce orphan (audio)
ˈȯrf-niŋ

transitive verb

: to cause to become an orphan

Examples of orphan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson star as young orphans terrorized by a demon in their new haunted home. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024 Much like the first game, Like A Dragon: Yakuza follows Kazuma Kiryu (Ryoma Takeuchi), who goes from being an orphan in the fictitious Tokyo district of Kamurocho to becoming a legendary yakuza and vigilante. Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Thousands of children have been orphaned, maimed and traumatized. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Thousands more are in captivity, displaced, orphaned, out of school, and suffer trauma from violence and war. NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for orphan 

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English orphan, orphen, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French orphayn, borrowed from Late Latin orphanus, borrowed from Greek orphanós "left without parents, child without parents," derivative (with -anos, noun and adjective suffix) of *orphos "orphan," going back to Indo-European *h3órbhos "person or property turned over (as after a death)," whence also Armenian orb "orphan," Latin orbus "deprived by death of a relative, bereaved, orphan," Old Church Slavic rabŭ "slave," also (from post-Indo-European *orbhós "one having the inheritance, heir," whence *orbhii̯o- "of the heir") Old Irish orpe, orbae "patrimony, heritage," Old English ierfe "inheritance," Old Saxon erƀi, Old High German erbi, Gothic arbi, and (from Germanic *arbijōn- "heir") Old English ierfa "heir," Old High German erbo, Gothic arbja, runic Norse arbija; Indo-European *h3órbhos perhaps derivative of a verbal base *h3erbh- "turn, be turned over, undergo transfer" — more at orb entry 1

Verb

derivative of orphan entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orphan was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near orphan

Cite this Entry

“Orphan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orphan. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

orphan

1 of 2 noun
or·​phan ˈȯr-fən How to pronounce orphan (audio)
1
: a child whose parents are dead
2
: one who has had some protection or advantage taken away
orphans of the storm
orphan adjective
orphanhood noun

orphan

2 of 2 verb
orphaned; orphaning ˈȯrf-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce orphan (audio)
: to cause to become an orphan
children orphaned by war

Legal Definition

orphan

noun
or·​phan
: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents
broadly : a child without a parent or guardian

More from Merriam-Webster on orphan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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