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
ˈfä-t͟hə-riŋ 
ˈfät͟h-riŋ
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 Web
Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Their father — whose name has not been confirmed — tried to cling on to them but they were swept away by the tide of water, state news agency EFE reported.
—Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There’s often a deep sense of loss— both of the ability to father a biological child and of the traditional male role as a provider and protector.
—Priya Oberoi, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for father 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
One of the drivers in the original crash, her father and both police officers were standing in front of the cars involved when Geer crashed into the back of the Tacoma, police said in the affidavit.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Their father — whose name has not been confirmed — tried to cling on to them but they were swept away by the tide of water, state news agency EFE reported.
—Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
That was true until fans discovered Francis had fathered three kids.
—Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There’s often a deep sense of loss— both of the ability to father a biological child and of the traditional male role as a provider and protector.
—Priya Oberoi, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for father
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 22 Nov. 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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