found·er
ˈfau̇n-dər 
: one that founds or establishes
the founder of a company
the founder of psychoanalysis
foun·der
ˈfau̇n-dər
foundered; foundering
ˈfau̇n-d(ə-)riŋ
; founders
; founders
1
of a horse
: to become disabled
especially
: to go lame
His horse foundered while he was still five miles from home.
2
: to give way : collapse
Every once in a while, perhaps as a consequence of small earthquakes or other tectonic movements … these muddy banks foundered and slid into the adjoining stagnant basin …—
Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould3
: to become submerged : sink
In the early hours of the 7th of December, a German liner named the Deutschland, sailing from Bremen to New York, foundered and broke up on the Kentish coast.—Guy Davenport
Guy Davenport4
: to encounter misfortune : fail
They were Hollywood's happiest couple right up to the moment the marriage foundered.—John Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne
: to disable (a domesticated animal, such as a horse or cow) especially as a result of excessive feeding or poor nutrition : to cause founder in
It can be caused by excess sugar in the horses' diet. … new spring grass is the most sugar-filled and, therefore, the most likely to founder a horse.—Desirai Schild
Desirai Schild
foun·der
ˈfau̇n-dər
: inflammation of and damage to the laminae (see lamina sense 4) and coffin bone in the hoof of a domesticated animal (such as a horse or cow) that is typically caused by poor diet, obesity, or diseases associated with inflammation : laminitis
The laminae are what hold the bone to the hoof. When they become compromised and inflamed, they cause severe pain and lameness. If they start to separate from the bone, it will cause sinking of the bone within the hoof which is called founder …—Lainie Kringen-Scholtz
Lainie Kringen-Scholtz
found·er
ˈfau̇n-dər
: one that founds metal
especially
: typefounder
Did you know?
Founder is related to Latin fundus, meaning "bottom" or "base." When something "founders," it usually hits the bottom in one sense or another. When a ship founders, it sinks to the bottom of the sea, for example, and if your endeavor is foundering, it isn't doing well and is therefore headed downward.
Synonyms
Examples of founder in a Sentence
Noun (1)
Maria Montessori was the founder of an educational system dedicated to maximizing a child's creative potential
Verb
Her career foundered, and she moved from job to job for several years.
trying to save a foundering career
Recent Examples on the Web
Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Working alongside a college fraternity represents a bold next step for the White Line and its founders, White’s parents, Michael and Jill.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Nov. 2024
David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2024
Similar challenges to the status quo in Iraq have foundered in the past.
—Renad Mansour, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for founder 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, also lost a re-election bid to Levi Strauss heir and nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie, who campaigned aggressively on crime and street safety.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Working alongside a college fraternity represents a bold next step for the White Line and its founders, White’s parents, Michael and Jill.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
The director, an NYU hotshot whose career almost foundered after Going in Style, has a nice, leisurely way with the material.
—David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2024
Similar challenges to the status quo in Iraq have foundered in the past.
—Renad Mansour, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for founder
Dictionary Entries Near founder
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/founder. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
founder
1 of 3 noun
found·er
ˈfau̇n-dər
: one that founds or establishes
founder
2 of 3 verb
foun·der
ˈfau̇n-dər
foundered; foundering
-d(ə-)riŋ
1
: to become lame
the horse foundered
2
: to sink below the surface of the water
a foundering ship
founder
3 of 3 noun
found·er
: one that founds metal
Etymology
Verb
Middle English foundren "to fall to the ground, sink," from early French fondrer (same meaning), derived from Latin fundere "to pour, cast, disperse, lay low" — related to font entry 2, found entry 3
Medical Definition
founder
1 of 2 verb
foun·der
ˈfau̇n-dər
foundered; foundering
-d(ə-)riŋ
; founders
; founders
: to disable (a domesticated animal, such as a horse or cow), especially as a result of excessive feeding or poor nutrition : to cause laminitis in
founder
2 of 2 noun
foun·der
: inflammation of and damage to the laminae (see lamina sense b) and coffin bone in the hoof of a domesticated animal (such as a horse or cow) that is typically caused by poor diet, obesity, or diseases associated with inflammation : laminitis
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