Parent Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms parent American [pair-uhnt, par-] / ˈpɛər ənt, ˈpær- /

noun

1. a father or a mother.

2. an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.

3. a source, origin, or cause.

4. a protector or guardian.

5. Biology. any organism that produces or generates another.

6. Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.

adjective

1. being the original source.

   a parent organization.

2. Biology. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another.

   parent cell;

   parent DNA.

verb (used with object)

1. to be or act as parent of.

   to parent children with both love and discipline.

parent British / ˈpɛərənt /

noun

1. a father or mother

2. a person acting as a father or mother; guardian

3. rare an ancestor

4. a source or cause

5. 1. an organism or organization that has produced one or more organisms or organizations similar to itself

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent organism

6. physics chem

   1. a precursor, such as a nucleus or compound, of a derived entity

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent nucleus

      a parent ion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• nonparent noun
• parenthood noun
• parentless adjective
• parentlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of parent

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin parent-, stem of parēns, noun use of present participle of parere “to bring forth, breed”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Care would be available 52 weeks a year, with Swinney saying he had "heard the calls from parents across the country" who are "struggling to juggle work and childcare".

From BBC

Reece Lockett, said his life had been "turned upside down" and he had lost his parents, his partner and his job because of it.

From BBC

Yet the benefits of early financial independence are obvious to American parents, who are more stressed than other adults, due in part to financial strain and time demands, a U.S.

From MarketWatch

Shutdowns have caused problems for diabetic children whose sensors can’t transmit glucose levels to parents and warn them in case of emergencies.

From The Wall Street Journal

He added: "These pups are growing incredibly fast and are already showing the same high-energy, inquisitive traits as their parents."

From BBC

Related Words

• father
• mother

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.