father 1 of 2

noun

ˈfä-t͟hər How to pronounce father (audio)
Definition of fathernext
1
as in dad
a male human parent the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons

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2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right

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4
as in Lord
capitalized the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven

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father

2 of 2

verb

as in to sire
to become the father of Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of father
Noun
The day of the trip, Sanchez was with her 5-month-old baby and the child’s father, whom co-workers identified as Andres Garcia. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026 Bell is the father of actress Ashley Bell, best known for the 2010 horror film The Last Exorcism and its 2013 sequel. — Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
Males who mate with many females might be trying to father as many offspring as possible. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 8 July 2026 Roughly 10 years earlier, Cleveland—who did not marry until 1886—had fathered a child with Maria Halpin, a widow. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
  1. dad
  2. founder
  3. grandfather
  4. sire
  5. daddy
  6. creator
  7. ancestor
  8. spawn
Noun
  • Melanie Zanetti will reprise her role as Bluey’s mom, Chilli, from the series, with Richard Jeffrey returning to voice Bluey’s dad, Bandit.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Created by Joe Brumm, Bluey centers around an Australian blue heeler pup and her family -- mom Chilli, dad bandit and little sister Bingo.
    — Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of dad
Noun
  • What those founders were building looked very different from the Waubonsee Community College of today.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lane is vice president and founder of the Envisioning Studio at Google, an AI prototyping lab that explores emerging technologies.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of founder
Noun
  • Adela follows her grandfather’s footsteps while transforming his political and anthropological work into art, weaving a sound map from languages at risk of disappearing.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Beam family was at Raimondi Park sporting shirts with artwork of their beloved dad, husband, brother and grandfather.
    — Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of grandfather
Verb
  • Somebody fell out of love — a complaint sired this inspection.
    — David J. Neal July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Gun Runner’s stable still has the brass nameplate of its former occupant, legendary 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, who also sired an impressive line of runners.
    — Graham Cornwell, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of sire
Noun
  • Michael Douglas has a daddy-daughter date with Carys Zeta Douglas at the Mallorca, Land of Honor Awards on August 3.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • How in the Nine Realms did Thor—a bland, long-haired jock set to inherit his daddy’s empire—become one of Marvel’s most interesting and likeable heroes?
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of daddy
Noun
  • The converging trends are creating opportunities and consternation for travelers, content creators, and the travel industry.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • And there will be more to come as announcements of athletes, creators, and industry leaders are rolled out closer to the event.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of creator
Noun
  • While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smartphones.
    — Terry Chea, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history.
    — The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Verb
  • The film’s success spawned several sequels, including Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • For three decades, rap legend and cultural icon Tupac Shakur’s killing has remained one of America’s great unsolved mysteries, spawning countless books, documentaries and long-form investigative journalism pieces.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of spawn

Phrases Containing father

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fatheads
father
fathered
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Cite this Entry

“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on father

Nglish: Translation of father for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about father

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