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.

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Etymology

Origin of father figure

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Kenyan university student Ryan, who follows the videos of Andrew Kibe, says as a young man raised by a single mother, he views the influencer as a surrogate father figure.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

He also lacked a father figure growing up, as his father was not involved in raising him.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

Army colonel Lee Shaw, her team’s father figure, in the monster realm they call Axis Mundi.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Nancy Shear wasn’t yet out of her teens when she was hired as musical assistant to the eminent and enigmatic symphony conductor Leopold Stokowski, who became her mentor and a father figure of sorts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Maybe I could have just read that and had a father figure to teach me how to treat mothers.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri