son

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a human male offspring especially of human beings
b
: a male adopted child
c
: a human male descendant
2
capitalized : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a person closely associated with or deriving from a formative agent (such as a nation, school, or race)
sonhood noun

son-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or sono-
: sound
sonic
sonogram

Examples of son in a Sentence

Noun She gave birth to a son. They have two sons and a daughter. He is the son of a lawyer and a doctor. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
James and Jennifer's son killed four students at Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., in November 2021, and injured seven others. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 If James knew that his son had gained access to his firearms, the prosecution would have told you that. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Vincent Bello was killed, but his son was able to escape Facebook Show more sharing options SANTEE — Authorities have identified the 57-year-old man who died in a mobile home fire in Santee on Monday as Vincent Bello. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024 The defense also asserted publicly for the first time that while Crumbley knew his son had access to a gun, the school did, too. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Regina King’s son died two years ago and the actress is speaking about it for the first time. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 14 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors also argued James Crumbley missed clear warning signs that his son needed help. Eric Levenson, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 He is survived by his son Miles, daughter Sierra and wife Tegan. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Wheeler, who was also in foster care as a child, described his sons as traumatized by the experience of losing their sister. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'son.' 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 sone, from Old English sunu; akin to Old High German sun son, Greek hyios

Combining form

Latin sonus sound

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of son was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near son

Cite this Entry

“Son.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/son. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

son

noun
1
a
: a male offspring especially of human parents
b
: a human male descendant
2
capitalized : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a man or boy closely associated with or thought of as a child of something (as a country, race, or religion)

More from Merriam-Webster on son

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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