father

A1 Topic:Family & Relationships

US /ˈfæ.ðə(ɹ)/ UK /ˈfɑː.ðə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

noun Freq #186

Meanings

1

noun
A male parent.

My father taught me how to ride a bike.
2

noun
A man who starts or creates something important.

George Washington is often called the father of his country.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a male parent. begettermale parent

2 noun · a man who starts or creates... founderfounding father

More ayrba baba da dad dadadaddiodaddy fatherling pa pap papa

Opposites

child daughter mother son

Word family

Forms fatheredfatheringfatherlessfathersfathur’s

Derived forms all-fatherallofatherbabyfatherbiofatherbirthfatherco-fatherco-father-in-lawelderfathereldfatherfather-figurefather-fuckerfather-in-law

Related forms beget grandpajupiterpaterpaterfamiliaspaternal sire

Common collocations

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr Proto-Germanic *fadēr Proto-West Germanic *fader Old English fæder Middle English fader English father Inherited from Middle English fader. Doublet of ayr, faeder, athair, padre, pater, and père.

*peh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Family & Relationships

# father

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈfæ.ðə(ɹ)
**IPA (UK):** ˈfɑː.ðə(ɹ)
**Frequency rank:** 186

## Meanings
1. A male parent.
2. A man who starts or creates something important.

## Examples
- My father taught me how to ride a bike.
- George Washington is often called the father of his country.

## Synonyms
- ayr
- ba
- baba
- da
- dad
- dada
- daddio
- daddy
- fatherling
- pa
- pap
- papa

## Antonyms
- child
- daughter
- mother
- son

## Derived Forms
- all-father
- allofather
- babyfather
- biofather
- birthfather
- co-father
- co-father-in-law
- elderfather
- eldfather
- father-figure
- father-fucker
- father-in-law

## Related Forms
- beget
- grandpa
- jupiter
- pater
- paterfamilias
- paternal
- sire

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *peh₂-

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr Proto-Germanic *fadēr Proto-West Germanic *fader Old English fæder Middle English fader English father Inherited from Middle English fader. Doublet of ayr, faeder, athair, padre, pater, and père.

## AI Etymology
Father is inherited from Middle English fader. Doublet of ayr, faeder, athair, padre, pater, and père. In current use, the main senses are “A male parent” and “A man who starts or creates something important”.

## Topics
- Family & Relationships

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