city father

noun

1. any of the officials or prominent citizens of a city.

city father

noun

1. a person who is active or prominent in the public affairs of a city, such as an alderman

Word History and Origins

Origin of city father¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Osteria del Pozzo is famous for the brodetto all’anconetano, a dish so important to the coastal city of Ancona that the city fathers chose to dedicate prominent space on the local government website to it.

From Fortune

Imagine a New York city father without digestion; what a subject of scorn he would become to his constituency!

From Project Gutenberg

"We are turning into a city-father," he once said, trying to be the first to laugh.

From Project Gutenberg