daughter

American  

[daw-ter] / ˈdɔ tər /

noun

1. a female child or person in relation to her parents.

2. any female descendant.

3. a person related as if by the ties binding daughter to parent.

   daughter of the church.

4. anything personified as female and considered with respect to its origin.

   The United States is the daughter of the 13 colonies.

5. Chemistry, Physics. an isotope formed by radioactive decay of another isotope.

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adjective

1. Biology. pertaining to a cell or other structure arising from division or replication.

   daughter cell; daughter DNA.

daughter British  

/ ˈdɔːtə /

noun

1. a female offspring; a girl or woman in relation to her parents

2. a female descendant

3. a female from a certain country, etc, or one closely connected with a certain environment, etc

   a daughter of the church

4. archaic (often capital) a form of address for a girl or woman

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1. biology denoting a cell or unicellular organism produced by the division of one of its own kind

2. physics (of a nuclide) formed from another nuclide by radioactive decay

Other Word Forms

• daughter-like adjective
• daughterhood noun
• daughterless adjective
• daughterlike adjective
• daughterliness noun
• daughterly adjective

Etymology

Origin of daughter

before 950; Middle English doughter, Old English dohtor; cognate with German Tochter, Greek thygátēr, Sanskrit duhitā

Explanation

A daughter is a female offspring, and while it is usually referring to the female child's relationship to her parents, it might be used to suggest any similar relationship, such as the organization “Daughters of the American Revolution.” The English word daughter appeared before the Tenth Century as the Old English dohtor and later the Middle English doughter. Any connected group of women might be referred to as "daughters," For example, the "daughters of Zion" of the Bible and the "Daughters of Elysium" in Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" closing to his Ninth Symphony. If people say you are your mother's daughter, aside from pointing out the obvious they are saying the two of you have a lot in common.

Example Sentences

Katy said it was following this that she gave up her job as a lawyer to look after her daughter after realising she "didn't trust anyone with her allergies".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

In another statement, Wiggins said he was "devastated" by the death of his "bright, funny" daughter and questioned if she might still be alive had "people done their job properly".

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Marisol Marquez, a secretary who works for the state, sends her daughter to TK at 1st Street Elementary in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Now, you’re helping your daughter build a better future with that knowledge.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The miller and his nine ugly sons and his one pretty daughter and the three soldiers all stared at me, and then at something on the ground.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• child
• descendant
• female offspring
• girl
• kid
• offspring