as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married
grew up unfathered and looked up to his uncle as a male role model
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfathered
illegitimate
Adjective
-
Motta had been completely unaware that the accidents Garrison and Alfortish had brought her were illegitimate, Toomey insisted.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026 -
The only one that can be called truly illegitimate by global and historical standards is the claim to the whole of the South China Sea.—
Anatol Lieven,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Unfathered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfathered. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
