parent

1 of 2

noun

par·​ent ˈper-ənt How to pronounce parent (audio)
1
a
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
just became parents of twins
b
: a person who brings up and cares for another
foster parents
2
a
: an animal or plant that is regarded in relation to its offspring
The parent brings food to the chicks.
b
: the material or source from which something is derived
Latin is the parent of several languages.
c
: a group from which another arises and to which it usually remains subsidiary
a parent company
parent adjective
parental adjective
parentally adverb
parentless adjective

parent

2 of 2

verb

parented; parenting; parents

transitive verb

: to be or act as the parent of : originate, produce

intransitive verb

: to be or act as a parent

Example Sentences

Noun My parents live in New York. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian of the child. The parent brings food to the chicks. The new plant will have characteristics of both parent plants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The parents had been attending church services, the police department said. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 31 May 2023 She was accompanied by her parents and husband Billy Evans. Luke Barr, ABC News, 30 May 2023 The newborn, its parents and Moke also live with a 41-year-old female named Mandara and her 14-year-old daughter, Kibibi. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 30 May 2023 Health authorities quickly removed the girls from the parents, accusing the latter of seeking to exploit their novelty. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2023 Another bill, still in committee at the time, promised to eliminate most zoning restrictions within half a mile of every BART station, so that every house in my parents’ neighborhood could in theory be torn down and replaced with apartment buildings. Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023 And that was by a kind and beautiful woman who seemed to know her parents, could answer all the questions and is clearly not a stranger, and gave her life advice that seemed very well-intentioned. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 May 2023 Kadeem was born and raised in Mattapan, the neighborhood’s heavy Caribbean population making the area a home away from home for his Jamaican parents. Max Bell, SPIN, 30 May 2023 Faith Pinho: The fact is, Paulina’s custody hearing would affect more than the two girls and their parents. The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
Verb
The prominence of Armstrong’s blog also kicked off what would become a national discussion on the role of children in parenting content online. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 The nonprofit’s signature program, Street of Dreams, is an arts education and college bridge program for teen mothers at Lindsay Community School, an education partnership with Children of the Rainbow for pregnant and parenting teens in ninth through 12th grades. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2023 There was an actual relationship that went on, Arthur parenting me in my distress. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2023 Who knew a movie adapted from parenting book Queen Bees and Wannabes would result in one of the most beloved movies of our generation? Stacey Grant, Seventeen, 12 May 2023 Handmade in Los Angeles, the limited-edition piece benefits Zajfen’s organization, which supports Alliance for Children’s Rights’ work with pregnant and parenting youth in the Los Angeles foster care system. Lindzi Scharf, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2023 Duke has experienced pregnancy and parenting herself and has family members who are in long-term recovery as well. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 28 Apr. 2023 Jimmy deals with parenting his teenage daughter, who wants to go on a group date. Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2023 Bonding with children at the start of life is how fathers grow empowered to parent them throughout their development. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parent.' 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, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin parent-, parens "father or mother, progenitor, ancestor," probably from an aorist participle of parere "to give birth to, bring into being, produce" — more at parturient entry 1

Verb

derivative of parent entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1663, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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

Dictionary Entries Near parent

Cite this Entry

“Parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parent. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent
ˈpar-ənt,
ˈper-
1
a
: one that is a father or mother
b
: an animal or plant that produces offspring
2
: the original source of something
parent adjective
parenthood
-ˌhu̇d
noun

Medical Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent ˈpar-ənt, ˈper- How to pronounce parent (audio)
1
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
2
: the material or source from which something is derived
parent adjective
parental adjective

Legal Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent
1
a
: a person who begets or brings forth offspring
especially : the natural parents of a child born of their marriage
b
: a person who legally adopts a child
c
: a person or entity that owes to a child a legally imposed duty of support
d
: a stepparent where designated by statute
2
: an entity or group that gives rise to or acquires another usually subsidiary entity or group
a parent company
specifically : a corporation that owns a required minimum percentage of the stock of another corporation compare affiliate
parent adjective
parental adjective
parentally adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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