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father figure

American  
[fah-ther fig-yer] / ˈfɑ ðər ˌfɪg yər /

noun

  1. an emotional substitute for one's father, especially one who fulfills parental functions such as protection, authority, support, etc.

Etymology

Origin of father figure

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

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