orphan

1 of 3

noun (1)

or·​phan ˈȯr-fən 

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

ˈȯr-fən-ˌhu̇d 

noun

orphan

2 of 3

verb

orphaned; orphaning ˈȯr-fə-niŋ 

ˈȯrf-niŋ

transitive verb

: to cause to become an orphan

orphanhood

3 of 3

noun (2)

or·​phan·​hood -fənˌhu̇d 

: the quality or state of being an orphan

draw from him the facts … including his place of abode, his orphanhood

—Theodore Bonnet

Examples of orphan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The titular character in Nines is an orphan, pianist, father, widower and killer. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Kingsolver followed Unsheltered with Demon Copperhead, a retelling of David Copperfield about an Appalachian orphan tossed around the foster system after losing his mother to an overdose. — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Verb

Arneson’s son was left orphaned and is now being raised by his grandparents after sustaining minor injuries in the crash, according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026

How to Tell if a Skunk is Abandoned Your initial assumption should be that the mother is simply out foraging and that this baby has not been orphaned, says Single. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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 (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1814, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing orphan

• orphan drug
• orphan's court

Rhymes for orphan

• dextromethorphan
• endorphin

Kids Definition

orphan

1 of 2 noun

or·​phan ˈȯr-fən 

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

-ˌhu̇d 

noun

orphan

2 of 2 verb

orphaned; orphaning ˈȯrf-(ə-)niŋ 

: 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