mother figure

American  

[muhth-er fig-yer] / ˈmʌð ər ˌfɪg jər /

noun

• mother figures
  plural

1. an emotional substitute for one's mother, especially one who fulfills parental functions such as protection, authority, support, etc.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mother figures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mother figure

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mother figure

Helping your mother figure out how she got into this mess is not tantamount to becoming emotionally enmeshed in her problems.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026

Like that earlier work, “The Thanksgiving Visitor” is also drawn from Capote’s boyhood within a clan of eccentric relatives that included an older cousin and mother figure known as Sook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

He says he “misses a mother figure ... but I think what she’s going through is deserved.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2025

You age regress and look for a strong father or mother figure or other authoritarian leader to tell you what to do.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2024

“Vivian is like a mother figure to you. Grandmother, great-grandmother—whatever. She listens to you, she tells you stories, lets you help her out. She makes you feel needed.”

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline