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Added 9 October 2026

godfather

/ˈɡɑdfɑðɚ/ noun

In Latin: patrinus, susceptorus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about godfather at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a male godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.
Someone who plays a key role in fostering the development of something.
A mafia leader.

verb

To act as godfather or guardian to.

Origin

From Middle English godfader, from Old English godfæder (“godfather”), equivalent to god- + father. Cognate with Old Saxon godfadar (“godfather”), Middle Dutch godvader (“godfather”), Danish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Swedish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Icelandic guðfaðir (“godfather”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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