founder

[ foun-der ]

/ ˈfaʊn dər /

See synonyms for: founder / foundered / founders on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who founds or establishes something, as a company or institution.

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of founder

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English found(o)ur, foundere, fundre “original builder of a city, church, castle, or city; founder of a country,” from Anglo-French fundur, from Old French fondeor, from Latin fundātōr-, stem of fundātor; see origin at found²;see also -er¹

Definition for founder (2 of 3)

founder²

[ foun-der ]

/ ˈfaʊn dər /

verb (used without object)

(of a ship, boat, etc.) to fill with water and sink.

to fall or sink down, as buildings, ground, etc.: Built on a former lake bed, the building has foundered nearly ten feet.

to become wrecked; fail utterly: The project foundered because public support was lacking.

to stumble, break down, or go lame, as a horse: His mount foundered on the rocky path.

to become ill from overeating.

Veterinary Pathology. (of a horse) to suffer from laminitis.

verb (used with object)

to cause to fill with water and sink: Rough seas had foundered the ship in mid-ocean.

Veterinary Pathology. to cause (a horse) to break down, go lame, or suffer from laminitis.

noun

Veterinary Pathology. laminitis.

SYNONYMS FOR founder

2 collapse, succumb, topple, sink.

3 perish, flop.

See synonyms for founder on Thesaurus.com

Origin of founder

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English foundren, funder, fonder, from Old French fondrer “to plunge to the bottom, submerge,” from Vulgar Latin fundorāre (unattested), derivative of fundor-, an s-stem noun interpreted as stem of Latin fundus, actually an o-stem noun (stem fund- ) “bottom”

OTHER WORDS FROM founder

un·foun·dered, adjectiveun·foun·der·ing, adjective

Definition for founder (3 of 3)

founder³

[ foun-der ]

/ ˈfaʊn dər /

noun

a person who founds or casts metal, glass, etc.

Origin of founder

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English foundour, founder, from Old French fondeur, from fondre “to melt, cast”; see origin at found³, -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for founder

The other founder is from India and is working on an H-1B at a large tech company.
Extra Crunch roundup: A fistful of IPOs, Affirm’s Peloton problem, Zoom Apps and more|Walter Thompson|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
Like many technology companies looking to go public, Wish has a dual-class share structure giving more voting power to its founders.
Online marketplace Wish files for initial public offering|Verne Kopytoff|November 20, 2020|Fortune
“He was an up and coming talent,” said Andy Dinh, CEO and founder of TSM.
The enduring and ongoing legacy of Bjergsen|Noah Smith|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Earlier this week, TechCrunch caught up with Gonzalez-Cadenas over Zoom to learn more about his new role at Index and how he intends to source deals and support founders.
Why is GoCardless COO Carlos Gonzalez-Cadenas pivoting to become a full-time VC?|Steve O'Hear|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch

His first foray was a dating website, after he read that the founder of Plenty of Fish made $10 million a year working 10 hours a week in a New York Times piece.
Meet the unicorn founder that braved war zones and missed meetings to make his mark on the startup world|Lucinda Shen|November 20, 2020|Fortune
And then it foundered for a while and someone else picked it up.
R.L. Stine’s Secret to Scaring the Crap Out of Kids|Kevin Fallon|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As DreamWorks foundered, the animation division had to be split from live-action into a separate company.
A Taxpayer Bailout for DreamWorks Animation?|Kim Masters|March 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Pallas and Vesta, not heard of for some time; supposed to have foundered.
Narrative And Miscellaneous Papers|Thomas De Quincey
Of his comrade I saw no signs, but judged him to be foundered somewhere in the macchia.
Two Sides of the Face|Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
It is regarded as certain that it has foundered, and that its occupants have perished.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XVII, 1609-1616|Various
The heart throbs wildly, then stops dead like a foundered horse.
The New Book Of Martyrs|Georges Duhamel
I paid two hundred and fifty dollars for a horse that was foundered and kicked so bad I couldn't drive him home.
Catholic World, Vol. XIII, April to September, 1871|Various

British Dictionary definitions for founder (1 of 3)

founder¹

/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

noun

a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc

Word Origin for founder

C14: see found ²

British Dictionary definitions for founder (2 of 3)

founder²

/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

verb (intr)

(of a ship) to sink

to break down or failthe project foundered

to sink into or become stuck in soft ground

to fall in or give way; collapse

(of a horse) to stumble or go lame

archaic (of animals, esp livestock) to become ill from overeating

noun

vet science another name for laminitis

Word Origin for founder

C13: from Old French fondrer to submerge, from Latin fundus bottom; see found ²

usage for founder

Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering)

British Dictionary definitions for founder (3 of 3)

founder³

/ (ˈfaʊndə) /

noun

a person who makes metal castings
(in combination)an iron founder

Word Origin for founder

C15: see found ³

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for founder

founder

[ foun′dər ]

v.

To stumble, especially to stumble and go lame. Used of horses.

To become ill from overeating. Used of livestock.

To be afflicted with laminitis. Used of horses.

n.

laminitis

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founder

noun

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THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Origin of founder