father

Pronunciation

• (AU) IPA ^(key): /ˈfaː.ðə/, SAMPA: /"fa:D@/, enPR: fä'thə
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈfɑː.ðə/, SAMPA: /"fA:D@/, enPR: fä'thə
• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈfɑː.ðɚ/, SAMPA: /"fA:D@`/, enPR: fä'thər

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Homophones

• farther (in non-rhotic accents)

Noun

Singular father

Plural fathers

A father and his girl

1. (countable) The father of a person is the man who is one of that person's parents.

   The father of Bill Smith IV is Bill Smith III.

Synonyms

• dad
• daddy
• pops
• pop
• the old man
• papa
• pa

Related words

• fatherhood
• fatherless
• father-in-law
• stepfather
• fatherly

Verb

Plain form father

Third-person singular fathers

Past tense fathered

Past participle fathered

Present participle fathering

1. To have children (only applies to males)

   He fathered six children in six years.

Synonyms

• sire
• beget

See also

• mother