birther

American  

[bur-ther] / ˈbɜr θər /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• birtherism noun

Etymology

Origin of birther

First recorded in 2005–10; birth ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

“I love to produce, I really enjoy it. I think I’m good at being given a scene and saying, ‘Oh, let me rewrite it,’ but I don’t think I’m a good birther of ideas.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2021

You point out in the book that the birther thing was never a big thing for him.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2017

For Obama, the birther nonsense has given him some of his best material.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2016

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