plural fathers
1
: a male parent
He became a father when he was 30.
He's the father of three small children.
He has been like a father to me.
the foal's father
He's a single father. [=a father who does not have a wife or partner]
Note: The expression like father, like son means that a son is like his father in character, behavior, etc.
2
: a man who is thought of as being like a father
He was a father to me after my own father died.
3
: god sense 1
heavenly Father
4
formal
: a person who was in someone's family in past times : ancestor forefather
—usually plural
She inherited the land on which her fathers toiled.
the faith of his fathers
5
: a man who invents or begins something
—usually singular
the father of modern science
George Washington is the father of our country.
6
old-fashioned
: an older man who is one of the leaders of a city, town, etc.
—usually plural
Will the city fathers agree to it?
7
: a priest especially in the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church
—used especially as a title or as a form of address
Father Fitzgerald
Good morning, Father.
fathers; fathered; fathering
1
: to become the father of (a child) : to make a woman pregnant so that she gives birth to (a child)
He fathered three children.
2
of a man
: to invent, create, or produce (something)
He was praised for fathering a plan to improve the city's schools.
Cite this Entry
“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/father. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.
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