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
Gordon-Levitt stars in The Dark Knight Rises as John Blake, an intuitive Gotham Police Department officer who, because of his past as an orphan, quickly figures out Bruce’s real identity as Batman. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 My father was an orphan who grew up in Hollywood at his aunt’s house. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
Philanthropists give historic $150 million donation to City of Hope for pancreatic cancer research Sept. 17, 2024 He was orphaned in the Holocaust and never met any family. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024 Over the years, the company has sponsored elephants orphaned by poachers and will cover the cost of sponsoring baby elephants for travelers on this and other journeys. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 12 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 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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