Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

helicopter parent

British  

noun

  1. a parent who is excessively involved in the life of his or her child

"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

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.

See Examples For:

I was struck by how many HR pros had encountered a helicopter parent.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 4, 2026

I’m not a helicopter parent, a term I have come to loathe.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 23, 2024

Kim Griffin didn’t want to be a helicopter parent, but that’s when she felt she needed to step in.

From Washington Post Jan. 11, 2022

When my father was a small boy in Galveston, Texas, with no siblings to play with or anything like a helicopter parent regimenting his time, he roamed the inscrutable world of adults all around him.

From New York Times Sep. 22, 2021

Mom has a rich social life with neighbors, relatives and book clubs—but also frames her identity around having been a proud helicopter parent to her only child.

From Slate Nov. 23, 2020

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training