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.

---

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

She could not have known it would fuse her into the public’s consciousness as a devoted mother figure.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 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

"Once you hit 30, you couldn't land a leading role. If you were over 35, you were often typecast as the mother figure in a family," she says.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2023

“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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---