birther
Americannoun
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a person who claims that the presidency of Barack Obama was unconstitutional, citing a belief that he was not born in the United States, or denying the authenticity of his birth certificate.
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a person who claims that a former or current U.S. president or vice president, or a candidate for either office, was not born in the United States, questioning that person’s eligibility to hold the office.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of birther
First recorded in 2005–10; birth ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
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.
Flashback to 2011, when after taking a ribbing from headliner Seth Meyers, President Obama stood at the podium and riffed about many things, including the birther conspiracy.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2018
Jerome Corsi is a birther who heads the Washington bureau of InfoWars, the conspiracy theory empire of Alex Jones.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2018
The last time I talked to him was when I went on CNN and criticized him after the birther stuff, and he has never called me again.
From Slate • Jul. 24, 2017
In 2008 and 2009, most traditional newspapers and news broadcasts continued to ignore the birther story.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 4, 2016
During Mr. Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, every attempt to debunk the birther rumor seemed to raise its prevalence online.
From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2016
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.
