ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Parent

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈpɛəɹənt/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Parent is a noun meaning (often in the plural) A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.).

Meaning

(often in the plural) A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.).

More Meanings

  1. (often in the plural) A person who has had a baby; this person in relation to their child or children.
  2. A surrogate parent.
  3. A third person who has provided DNA samples in an IVF procedure in order to alter faulty genetic material.
  4. The source or origin of something.
  5. (biology) An organism from which a plant or animal is immediately biologically descended.
  6. (attributive) Sponsor, supporter, owner, protector.
  7. (obsolete) A relative.

Example Sentences

Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry.
After both her parents were killed in a forest fire, Sonia was adopted by her aunt and uncle.
Indolence and unalimentary food are the parents of this disease; but to neither are Indians accustomed.
The NHS is naturally pro-immunisation, reassuring parents that their babies can easily cope with these jabs.

Word Forms

Synonyms for parent

Depending on context, synonyms include genitor, progenitor, mother, raise, rear, nurture.

Antonyms for parent

Common opposites include child, offspring, kid.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include rear, raise, nurture, parenthood, father, paternal.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.