Father — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈfä-t͟hər/ fa·ther

Meaning & Definition of Father

Father (noun)

  1. a male parent
  2. a man who has begotten a child; also, a male animal who has sired an offspring
  3. god

Father (verb)

  1. beget
  2. to be the founder, producer, or author of
  3. to accept responsibility for

Father (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a male human parent

    "the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons"

    similar: dad, daddy, old man, pa, papa, pater (chiefly British), pop, sire
    related: paterfamilias, patriarch, father figure, father image, stepfather

  2. a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor

    "Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science"

    similar: author, begetter, creator, establisher, founder, founding father, generator, inaugurator, initiator, instituter, originator, sire
    related: cocreator, cofounder, conceiver, contriver, designer, deviser, formulator, innovator, introducer, inventor, spawner, builder, maker, producer, developer, pioneer, researcher, researchist, organizer, promoter, encourager, galvanizer, inspiration, inspirer
    near: disciple, follower, pupil, student, supporter

  3. 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"

    similar: ancestor, forebear, forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor
    related: antecessor, predecessor (archaic), ancestress, foremother, grandmother, matriarch, grandsire (archaic), patriarch, sire (archaic), ancestry, antecedents, roots
    opposite: descendant
    near: children, family, issue, lineage, offspring, posterity, progeny, seed, stock, daughter, heir, inheritor, scion, son, successor

  4. the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe

    "let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven"

    similar: Allah, Almighty, Author, Creator, deity, Divinity, Eternal, Everlasting, God, Godhead, Jehovah, King, Lord, Maker, Providence, Supreme Being, Yahweh

Father (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to become the father of

    "Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered"

    similar: beget, get, sire
    related: multiply, procreate, propagate, reproduce, spawn, bear, engender, gender, generate, produce

Related Entry: Father figure (noun)

Father figure is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for father figure, not for Father.

  1. an older man who acts in a paternal role to younger people

    "The coach was a stern, wise father figure to his players."

    similar: father image, dad, daddy, father, old man, pa, papa, pater (chiefly British), pop, sire, paterfamilias, patriarch, stepfather

Related Entry: Father (on) (verb)

Father (on) is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for father (on), not for Father.

  1. as in charge, blame

    similar: blame, charge, impute (to), pin (on), accredit, ascribe, attribute, chalk up, credit, impute, lay, put down, assign, refer, associate, attach, connect, link

Related Entry: Father image (noun)

Father image is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for father image, not for Father.

  1. as in father figure

    similar: father figure, dad, daddy, father, old man, pa, papa, pater (chiefly British), pop, sire, paterfamilias, patriarch, stepfather

Related Entry: Father images (noun)

Father images is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for father images, not for Father.

  1. as in father figures

    similar: father figures, daddies, dads, fathers, old men, papas, pas, paters (chiefly British), pops, sires, patresfamilias, patriarchs, stepfathers

Related Entry: Father figures (noun)

Father figures is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for father figures, not for Father.

  1. an older man who acts in a paternal role to younger people

    "The coach was a stern, wise father figure to his players."

    similar: father images, daddies, dads, fathers, old men, papas, pas, paters (chiefly British), pops, sires, patresfamilias, patriarchs, stepfathers

Related Entry: Founding father (noun)

Founding father is a different word from Father. The synonyms below are for founding father, not for Father.

  1. a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor

    "Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism"

    similar: author, begetter, creator, establisher, father, founder, generator, inaugurator, initiator, instituter, originator, sire
    related: cocreator, cofounder, conceiver, contriver, designer, deviser, formulator, innovator, introducer, inventor, spawner, builder, maker, producer, developer, pioneer, researcher, researchist, organizer, promoter, encourager, galvanizer, inspiration, inspirer
    near: disciple, follower, pupil, student, supporter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Father

The most common words with a similar meaning to Father:

Chiefly British: pater
dad, daddy, old man, pa, papa, pop, sire, author, begetter, creator, establisher, founder, founding father, generator, inaugurator, initiator, instituter, originator, ancestor, forebear, forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor, Allah, Almighty, Author, Creator, deity, Divinity, Eternal, Everlasting, God, Godhead, Jehovah, King, Lord, Maker, Providence

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Father

Words with the opposite meaning of Father:

descendant

Related Words for Father

paterfamilias, patriarch, father figure, father image, stepfather, cocreator, cofounder, conceiver, contriver, designer, deviser, formulator, innovator, introducer, inventor, spawner, builder, maker, producer, developer, pioneer, researcher, researchist, organizer, promoter, encourager, galvanizer, inspiration, inspirer, antecessor

Near Antonyms of Father

disciple, follower, pupil, student, supporter, children, family, issue, lineage, offspring, posterity, progeny, seed, stock, daughter, heir, inheritor, scion, son, successor

Word Forms of Father

Inflections: fathers, fathered, fathering

Derived words: fatherhood (noun), fatherless (adjective), fatherlike (adjective or adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Father

Middle English fader, from Old English fæder; akin to Old High German fater father, Latin pater, Greek patēr

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Father

Words & Phrases Containing Father

Father Christmas, father figure, father image, father-in-law, Father's Day, Father Time, Apostolic Father, church father

Frequently Asked Questions about Father

What does "Father" mean?

"Father" means a male parent. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a male parent. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Father"?

Other words for "Father" include dad, daddy, old man, pa, papa, pater, pop and sire. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Father" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Father"?

There are 94 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Father". Common alternatives include dad, daddy, old man, pa, papa, pater, pop, sire, author and begetter.

What is the opposite of "Father"?

Antonyms of "Father" include descendant. Near antonyms include disciple, follower, pupil and student.

How do you use "Father" in a sentence?

Examples of "Father" in a sentence: "the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons"; "Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science"; "our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right".

Is "Father" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Father" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Father" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Father" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Father"?

"Father" is pronounced /ˈfä-t͟hər/ and divided into syllables as fa·ther.