foundling

American  

[found-ling] / ˈfaʊnd lɪŋ /

noun

1. an infant or small child found abandoned; a child without a known parent or guardian.

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foundling British  

/ ˈfaʊndlɪŋ /

noun

1. an abandoned infant whose parents are not known

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Etymology

Origin of foundling

First recorded in 1250–1300, foundling is from the Middle English word found(e)ling. See found ², -ling ¹

Explanation

A foundling is a child who's been abandoned by their parents. You might also call a foundling a "waif" — and no matter what word you use, your heart will hurt for them. While a foundling is sometimes an orphan, someone whose parents have died, foundlings are often babies whose parents aren't able to care for them. In cases like this, parents sometimes abandon their babies in safe places like hospitals or churches. Many characters in literature are foundlings, from Oedipus to Superman. Moses is another famous foundling. The word shares a root with found, as in a "found child."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foundling

She transforms herself from “a wild, hatless little savage” into a lady, which estranges her from her childhood companion and besotted admirer, Heathcliff, a foundling who lives with her family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

He's still raising a Force-wielding foundling on “The Mandalorian” for however long Disney+ keeps that title character alive and little Grogu dependent on him.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2025

In a logging camp in 1934 New Brunswick, newborn Pearly is raised alongside Bruno, a foundling bear cub given to her father.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2024

In his many and widely read novels, Dickens sympathetically depicted the hardscrabble lives of poor, working-class, and middle-class urban dwellers, setting scenes in foundling homes, prisons, impoverished neighborhoods, and dark city streets.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

I was raised by the music community, with dozens of aunties and uncles who took me in as their own little foundling, even after I started showing a strange preference for classical music.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman