fostered
Americanadjective
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promoted or cultivated.
We need to cut through the deliberately fostered confusions that persist in the debate surrounding the referendum campaign.
The two-acre garden displays six species of its independently fostered roses.
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cared for as a foster child in the home of someone other than the natural or adoptive parents.
In that jurisdiction, 17 percent of all fostered children aged 5 to 18 had been in the same placement for more than five years.
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(of animals)
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cared for temporarily as a pet in a home until adoption can be arranged, often because medical care is required.
Once recovered, the fostered dogs had a better chance of being adopted than healthy ones straight from the shelter.
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raised by other than its own biological parents.
Two male penguins entrusted with the care of a fostered egg have welcomed a tiny penguin chick into the world.
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verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fostered
First recorded in 1580–90; foster ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; foster ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These sanitized accounts ignored the homemade dangers, such as the health problems fostered by an overstretched military — realities many children would face when a changed parent finally came home.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
Sepulveda was a foster parent and fostered approximately 90 children over the years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Fierce competition for open roles, a flood of AI-generated communication from both job candidates and recruiters, and an always-on communication culture fostered during pandemic-era remote work have sped up the clock on the hiring process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Born in Wolverhampton, Hudson-Smith said before the championships that it would "mean the world" to land gold not only home soil, but inside the arena which fostered his love for the sport.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
All of these capabilities of centralized societies have fostered intensified food production and hence population growth throughout history.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
