plural fathers
1
a(1)
: a male parent
(2)
: a man who has begotten a child
also
: a male animal who has sired an offspring
b
capitalized
(1)
(2)
: the first person of the Trinity (see Trinity sense 1)
2
: forefather
the founding fathers
3
a
: one related to another in a way suggesting that of father to child
b
: an old man
—used as a respectful form of address
4
often capitalized
: a pre-Scholastic (see scholastic sense 1a) Christian writer accepted by the church as an authoritative witness to its teaching and practice
called also church father
5
6
: a priest of the regular clergy
7
: one of the leading men (as of a city)
—usually used in plural
a council of the city fathers
fathered; fathering
ˈfät͟h-riŋ 
ˈfä-t͟hə-
1
a
: beget
b
: to be the founder, producer, or author of
fathered the improvement plan
c
: to accept responsibility for
2
a
: to fix the paternity or origin of
b
: to place responsibility for the origin or cause of
collected gossip and fathered it on responsible men—
J. A. Williamson
J. A. Williamson
: to care for or look after someone as a father might
Synonyms
Examples of father in a Sentence
Noun
He became a father when he was 30.
He's the father of three small children.
He has been like a father to me.
He was a father to me after my own father died.
Verb
He was praised for fathering a plan to improve the city's schools.
Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered.
Recent Examples on the WebTresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 9 July 2024
In the 1990s, Sheehan pivoted to paternal roles on the small screen, most notably playing Cher Horowitz's father on the UPN adaptation of Clueless.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 July 2024
Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
Estimates vary for how many children Meijer has fathered via his sperm donations, with some estimates at 500 and others, as in The Man With 1,000 Kids, in the upwards of 1,000.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for father 
Noun
As the prosecutor showed jurors photos of Woll's stab wounds − she was stabbed eight times in the neck and head − her father sat in the courtroom with his face buried in his hands.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 9 July 2024
In the 1990s, Sheehan pivoted to paternal roles on the small screen, most notably playing Cher Horowitz's father on the UPN adaptation of Clueless.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 July 2024
Verb
Moreover, other commenters in Thompson's Prince post wondered why the basketball star never shares photos of son Theo, whom the NBA star fathered with Nichols while still in a relationship with Kardashian.
—Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
Estimates vary for how many children Meijer has fathered via his sperm donations, with some estimates at 500 and others, as in The Man With 1,000 Kids, in the upwards of 1,000.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for father
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'father.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to father
Dictionary Entries Near father
Cite this Entry
“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
father
1 of 2 noun
fa·ther
ˈfät͟h-ər
ˈfȧth-
1
a
: a male parent
b
capitalized
: god sense 1
c
capitalized
: the first person of the Christian Trinity
2
3
: a man who cares for another as a father might
4
: a man who invents or begins something
the father of modern science
5
: priest
—used especially as a title
father
2 of 2 verb
fathered; fathering
ˈfät͟h-(ə-)riŋ
ˈfȧt͟h-
1
a
b
: to be the founder, producer, or author of
2
: to treat or care for someone as a father
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