as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism
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Recent Examples of founding father
Redesign amid the Olympic rules Jean spent nearly a year working on the uniforms, only to be told last month that the image of Haiti’s founding father violated the International Olympic Committee rules prohibiting political, religious or racial propaganda at Olympic venues and on uniforms.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a founding father and the former prime minister of the Islamic Republic, is in his 15th year of house arrest.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a founding father and the former prime minister of the Islamic Republic, is in his 15th year of house arrest.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding father
Noun
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Kiani is the founder and executive chair of Willow Laboratories and the former chair and CEO of Masimo.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Once the deal closes, most Maplewood production will shift to Half Acre, according to Ari Megalis, head distiller and co-founder of Maplewood.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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HostArmada is an excellent web host for individual creators and small businesses looking for competitive plans that won't break the bank.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
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Reem Raouda is a leading voice in conscious parenting and the creator of the BOUND and FOUNDATIONS journals, now offered together as her Emotional Safety Bundle.—
Reem Raouda,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Koy, the son of a white father and Filipina mother, saw comedy as a way to channel an overactive personality and need to make people laugh into a career.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The poll surveyed 977 caregivers of children 13 and younger, including 53% biological mothers and 33% biological fathers, with the remaining participants including stepparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20father. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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