father

A father is a man who has children or is responsible for raising children.

• Samuel is a father of three.
• He’s been a father for over ten years.
• He enjoys fatherhood. (fatherhood = a situation in which a man participates in raising children)
• In a wedding ceremony, the father of the bride gives his daughter away to her new husband.
• A step-father is a man who marries a woman with children. He becomes a step-father to the children.
• What does your father do for a living? (This is a common question that kids ask each other about their fathers.)

A father is responsible for raising his children.

A Catholic priest is given the title of "Father." This is also a title given to God.

• Father Mike is our priest.
• He’s the father at our church.
• Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…" (an excerpt from a Christian prayer)

The words "dad" and "daddy" are common substitutes for the word "father."

• Jessica’s dad drove her to school this morning.
• What does your dad do for a living?
• Timmy looks forward to seeing his daddy arrive home from a three-week business trip.

The word "father" can be used as a verb. In this case, it indicates a man’s involvement in the production of a child.

• Darryl has fathered a child.
• Wesley fathered two children before he left his wife.
• Men who father children must take responsibility for raising them.

The father or your father is your grandfather or grandpa.

• My grandfather was a fire fighter.
• Lester likes to go fishing with his grandpa.
• Pedro’s great-grandfather moved to the United States in 1926. (great-grandfather = father of your grandfather)

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

Orginally published on July 9, 2016.

Updated on July 15, 2019