father 1 of 2

noun

ˈfä-t͟hər How to pronounce father (audio)
Definition of fathernext
1
as in dad
a male human parent the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons

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2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right

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4
as in Lord
capitalized the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven

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father

2 of 2

verb

as in to sire
to become the father of Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of father
Noun
This tradition of sharing uncomfortable truths at a funeral stems from Season 2, in which Rebecca’s father died. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 Mike, whose father (Joe Morton’s Bayard) is a notorious celebrity lawyer, quickly joins forces with Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller), a young legal associate fired from the same start-up for different sketchy reasons. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
River’s investigation leads to Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving), a former CIA officer who has fathered many sons with different women, raising the boys in a private compound in France as a private army of mercenaries. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 There, her enslaver fathered her child, George, who became known as Chicken George because of his skills working gamecock fights. — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
  1. dad
  2. founder
  3. grandfather
  4. sire
  5. daddy
  6. creator
  7. ancestor
  8. spawn
Noun
  • Sisters Barani and Malu were born to first-time mom Ndari and dad Rakan at the Fort Worth Zoo on July 1 and weigh about 18 to 20 pounds each, or about the same as a large pumpkin, 13 weeks later.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Now dad and mom, who have been transporting them around for years in club softball, will have to begin looking for the cheapest flights to Tallahassee.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dad
Noun
  • Another ideological ally is Peter Thiel, a co-founder of software firm Palantir who temporarily moved his family to Buenos Aires in April.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Axios reported in June that Virtue AI co-founders Bo Li, Dawn Song, and Sanmi Koyejo were joining Meta along with other employees from the startup.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of founder
Noun
  • Alongside his mother, Paola Moscatelli, who serves as chief executive officer, Vicentini came to work for his grandfather right before COVID-19 after a career as an architect at OXO Architects in Paris.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Blending comedy, family drama and supernatural elements, the film revolves around the relationship between a Gen Z grandson and his war-veteran grandfather.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of grandfather
Verb
  • Nobody complained when Pitt received the part of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a wealthy plantation owner in the late 18th century whom Lestat would eventually sire after Louis is consumed by grief over the death of his wife and child.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Somebody fell out of love — a complaint sired this inspection.
    — David J. Neal July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of sire
Noun
  • Everyone has heard of the ‘crazy cat lady,’ but cat daddies have their own cultural stereotypes.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • And the Indian Premier League, the daddy of franchise cricket leagues, is now into its second generation of private owners, with the whole shebang valued at $20billion.
    — Matt Slater, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of daddy
Noun
  • Atlantika Films’ Nano Arrieta-creator and producer with Claudia Ruíz — shares the writing room with Popy Blasco, Ibai Ariztegi and Bárbara Zemelman.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Official outlets can quote from posts on fake accounts whose creators masquerade as ordinary members of the public, making a fringe claim seem normal.
    — RENÉE DIRESTA, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of creator
Noun
  • The discovery led to a complete redesign of the project, shifting the hotel inland to preserve the sacred site and honor the ancestors who remain there.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The small, troubled Trask family represents isolation, generational trauma and dysfunctional cycles in contrast to the large, loving and morally grounded Hamilton family, who are modeled after Steinbeck’s own maternal ancestors.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Verb
  • Luhring Augustine moved into the 3,500-square-foot space in September 2020, as galleries flooded the neighborhood, lured by the low rents spawned by the Covid-19 crisis.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In Southern California, where SpaceX has spawned scores of aerospace and defense startups, Costa Mesa’s Anduril Industries closed its own record-breaking $5-billion funding round in May at a $61-billion valuation.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of spawn

Phrases Containing father

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fatheads
father
fathered
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Cite this Entry

“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on father

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about father

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