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• foster
  foster

  verb (used with object)

  to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage.
• Foster
  Foster

  noun

  Stephen (Collins), 1826–64, U.S. songwriter.

foster

¹ American  

[faw-ster, fos-ter] / ˈfɔ stər, ˈfɒs tər /

verb (used with object)

• fosters,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fostered,
  past participle,  past
• fostering
  present participle

1. to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage.

   to foster new ideas.

   Synonyms:

   instigate, foment, advance, forward, favor

   Antonyms:

   discourage

2. to care for a foster child or a pet as a temporary guardian.

   The couple fostered two boys until they could be reunited with their birth parents.

   Have you ever fostered a kitten that you just couldn’t part from afterwards?

   Synonyms:

   maintain, support, sustain, nourish, nurse

3. to care for or cherish.

4. British. to place (a child) in a foster home.

5. Obsolete. to feed or nourish.

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Foster ² American  

[faw-ster, fos-ter] / ˈfɔ stər, ˈfɒs tər /

noun

1. Stephen (Collins), 1826–64, U.S. songwriter.

2. William Z(ebulon) 1881–1961, U.S. labor organizer: leader in the Communist Party.

3. a male given name.

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foster ¹ British  

/ ˈfɒstə /

verb

1. to promote the growth or development of

2. to bring up (a child, etc); rear

3. to cherish (a plan, hope, etc) in one's mind

4. 1. to place (a child) in the care of foster parents

   2. to bring up under fosterage

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adjective

1. (in combination) indicating relationship through fostering and not through birth

   foster mother

   foster child

2. (in combination) of or involved in the rearing of a child by persons other than his natural or adopted parents

   foster home

Foster ² British  

/ ˈfɒstə /

noun

1. Jodie . born 1962, US film actress and director: her films include Taxi Driver (1976), The Accused (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1990), Little Man Tate (1991; also directed), Nell (1995), and Panic Room (2002)

2. Norman , Baron. born 1935, British architect. His works include the Willis Faber building (1978) in Ipswich, Stansted Airport, Essex (1991), Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong (1998), the renovation of the Reichstag, Berlin (1999), and City Hall, London (2002)

3. Stephen Collins . 1826–64, US composer of songs such as The Old Folks at Home and Oh Susanna

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Synonym Usage

See cherish.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fosterer
  noun
• fostering
  noun
• unfostering
  adjective
• fosteringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• fostering
  present
• fostered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• foster
  simple
• fosters
  simple
• have fostered
  perfect
• has fostered
  perfect
• am fostering
  progressive
• are fostering
  progressive
• is fostering
  progressive
• have been fostering
  perfect progressive
• has been fostering
  perfect progressive

Past

• fostered
  simple
• had fostered
  perfect
• was fostering
  progressive
• were fostering
  progressive
• had been fostering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will foster
  simple
• will have fostered
  perfect
• will be fostering
  progressive
• will have been fostering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of foster

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fōstor “nourishment,” fōstrian “to nourish”; cognate with Old Norse fōstr; akin to food

Explanation

To foster is to nurture something. A teacher could foster creativity by providing crayons to every student. You can also foster a child, which means the child lives in your home for a time. You may have seen photos of a cat taking care of a baby rabbit, or a pig nursing a litter of puppies: those are little foster families. Foster can be a verb (to foster someone or something) or an adjective used to describe a foster family, child, or parent. The word is from the Old English fostrian meaning "to supply with food, nourish, support," which sounds like what those mama hogs were doing. Unlike adopt, foster has a time limit.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foster Foster fosters fostered fostering

The organisation said it would share the feedback with judges and consider it as it continued to "foster an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone taking part".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“The whole thing is just ridiculous,” said Julie Shoup, 69 years old, a retired foster parent who supports Alberta remaining in Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Did Eustis, one of the key players in that vaunted movement — the man who helped foster “Hamilton” — really mean what he said?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In making the change, he said he hoped “to foster a public conversation about what the Fed is doing to support a strong and resilient economy.‘

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

She was only six months old when we went into foster care, and she wasn’t yet two when Shanon showed up that day.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Before arriving in France, where she planned to spend a year, Foster messaged French speakers to practice chatting in that language.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Paul Foster, the NCA's cyber prevention lead, says hacking has become "more of a problem"

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Foster believes advances in AI or forensics could one day crack the case, or that someone may finally come forward.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

"Bill was a multi-talented celebrity -- wildlife presenter, broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist," his agent David Foster said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Teah’s mother, Alisa Foster, is a costume designer.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

The boot camp fosters an environment where students feel comfortable failing, said Saint Juste, 20, who will attend Kennesaw State University in the fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

The Yerevan gathering is the first of its kind in the Caucasus and comes as Armenia fosters closer ties with Europe while seeking to cautiously loosen itself from Russia's grasp.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

He recently volunteered to chair the social club, believing it fosters much-needed community spirit.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

Not being able to take dogs out of their kennels made it harder for fosters and rescuers to determine whether they were suitable for rescue, some said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026

But, as Forbes magazine has stated, “America’s culture, which fosters entrepreneurship and risk-taking, is the key ingredient that allows it to be one of the most innovative nations on earth.”

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

By the time he graduated in 2002, the startup had failed and the bubble had burst, a formative experience that fostered his interest in entrepreneurship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Ms. Willetts runs through various examples to make her case that the “organized rebellion” fostered by nightclubs often ignited cultural change.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

“Not only the long-awaited championship, but the likability of the team has really fostered a new generation of fans,” says Marangi.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

After serving as a commissioner for tennis during the 1984 Olympic Games in the city, Burke said he was overwhelmed by the sense of community and excitement that the international sporting event fostered.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

Although they never permitted matters to come to bloodshed, they still fostered these quarrels between them so that those citizens would not unite against them, being busy with their own disputes.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Controversy surrounding data center construction has roiled Texas in recent months, fostering a bipartisan coalition of opposition, particularly among rural and suburban residents.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026

“We are committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers,” the statement said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

This includes the care system, fostering and adoption practices, related institutions such as "baby homes", private nursing homes, and cross-border and international transfers of women and children.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Dan Greaves, Klarna’s head of communications and policy, lauded the court’s decision for fostering “a healthier, more competitive market for the way people compare products and services” in his own statement.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

But as new knowledge accumulated, the printing press instead of fostering scepticism began to make possible a new type of confidence.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton