Added 9 October 2026
father
/ˈfɑː.ðə/ noun
In Latin: pater, genitor, parēns Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about father at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A male parent, especially of a human; a male who parents a child (which he has sired, adopted, fostered, etc.).
My father was a strong influence on me.
- A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor.
-
A term of respectful address for an elderly man.
Come, father; you can sit here.
verb
Origin
Inherited from Middle English fader, from Old English fæder, from Proto-West Germanic *fader, from Proto-Germanic *fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr, possibly from *peh₂- + *-tḗr. Doublet of ayr, faeder, athair, padre, pater, and père.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)