Founding Fathers

American  

plural noun

1. the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.

2. (often lowercase) any group of founders.

   the town's founding fathers.

---

Founding Fathers Cultural  

1. A general name for male American patriots during the Revolutionary War, especially the signers of the Declaration of Independence and those who drafted the Constitution. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington were all Founding Fathers.

---

Example Sentences

Founding Fathers including Washington and Hamilton encouraged “manufactures External link,” though businesses in the early Republic were necessarily small and locally oriented.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

If the Founding Fathers of 1776 and King George III saw the president and the new king sharing a stage, Trump said, “They might be absolutely shocked.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

A second limited-edition passport showed a historic painting of the US Founding Fathers.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Others among the Founding Fathers also made significant contributions to public health.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

In each generation, new tactics have been used for achieving the same goals—goals shared by the Founding Fathers.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander