fatherhood

American  

[fah-ther-hood] / ˈfɑ ðərˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state of being a father.

2. fathers collectively.

3. the qualities or spirit of a father.

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fatherhood British  

/ ˈfɑːðəˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state or responsibility of being a father

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Usage

What does fatherhood mean? Fatherhood is the state of being a father. A person enters fatherhood when they become a father. This most commonly happens when their child is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by marrying or becoming a partner to someone with children. Fatherhood is a gender-specific version of the term parenthood. Less commonly, fatherhood can refer to all fathers collectively, as in You won’t find a better dad in all of fatherhood. Example: People who have not experienced fatherhood probably shouldn’t be so quick to criticize how dads parent their children.

Etymology

Origin of fatherhood

1350–1400; late Middle English faderhode; replacing Middle English faderheed. See father, -hood

Example Sentences

But Anastasia also pointed to "the lack of a fatherhood culture".

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"The transition to fatherhood often involves both positive experiences and a range of new stresses," says Jing Zhou, PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and co-first author of the paper.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

But fatherhood, as you say, is about more than just biology.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Series writer Taylor Sheridan was giving viewers exactly what they wanted: Thornton, wearing a cowboy hat and a seen-it-all look, going off on topics from fatherhood to fracking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

Not that your father wasn’t a nice guy and all, but he wasn’t up to fatherhood.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• parenthood