orphan

American  

[awr-fuhn] / ˈɔr fən /

noun

1. a child who has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent.

2. a young animal that has been deserted by or has lost its mother.

3. a person or thing that is without protective affiliation, sponsorship, etc..

   The committee is an orphan of the previous administration.

4. Printing.

   1. (especially in word processing) the first line of a paragraph when it appears alone at the bottom of a page.

   2. widow.

---

adjective

1. bereft of parents.

2. of or for orphans.

   an orphan home.

3. not authorized, supported, or funded; not part of a system; isolated; abandoned.

   an orphan research project.

4. lacking a commercial sponsor, an employer, etc..

   orphan workers.

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive of parents or a parent through death.

   He was orphaned at the age of four.

2. Informal. to deprive of commercial sponsorship, an employer, etc..

   The recession has orphaned many experienced workers.

orphan British  

/ ˈɔːfən /

noun

1. 1. a child, one or (more commonly) both of whose parents are dead

   2. ( as modifier )

      an orphan child

2. printing the first line of a paragraph separated from the rest of the paragraph by occurring at the foot of a page

---

verb

1. (tr) to deprive of one or both parents

Other Word Forms

• half-orphan
  noun
• orphanhood
  noun
• unorphaned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of orphan

1425–75; late Middle English (noun) < Late Latin orphanus destitute, without parents < Greek orphanós bereaved; akin to Latin orbus bereaved

Explanation

An orphan is someone who has lost both parents. Usually, we think of sad little children when we think of orphans, but anyone whose parents have both died is an orphan. A home for orphans is no substitute for a house with loving parents, even if they're adopted. Bambi, Annie, and Oliver Twist are probably the most famous orphans. Each lost their parents in different ways, but all of them had their lives similarly changed—they felt adrift without a parent to guide them. Orphans often spend lots of time looking for friends or surrogates to fill the gap left by their deceased parents.

Example Sentences

The findings add support to the idea that this therapy, which recently received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

In a melodic, chirpy voice, speaking in unaccented American English and calling herself Orphan Ann, D’Aquino did done hundreds of broadcasts for a news and music show called “Zero Hour.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

His Pulitzer Prize-winning 2012 novel, “The Orphan Master’s Son,” is set in North Korea, one of the last places that outsiders cannot freely visit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Orphan drugs can now be approved for multiple rare diseases and still be exempt from these negotiations.

From Barron's • Sep. 26, 2025

All four Roca kids been dropped off at the Colored Orphan Asylum when Magdalys was just a baby.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older