fatherhood

[fah-ther-hood]

noun

1. the state of being a father.

2. fathers collectively.

3. the qualities or spirit of a father.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatherhood¹

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

Example Sentences

My dear son, you have always had a good heart, and I imagine that fatherhood comes quite naturally to you.

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Evans last year confided about his aspirations toward fatherhood to “Access Hollywood,” saying he “absolutely” hoped to be a “superhero dad” like his “Red One” co-star Dwayne Johnson.

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For Mackin, fatherhood forced him to also consider his family’s financial stability, prompting him to enter the corporate workforce as a sales rep and eventually becoming a service director for Toyota.

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He praised Kirk’s example of Christian fatherhood and traditional theology of family.

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As on “Swag,” Bieber has marriage, fatherhood and religion on his mind here.

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Related Words

• parenthood 

When To Use

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.