parent

American  

[pair-uhnt, par-] / ˈpɛər ənt, ˈpær- /

noun

1. a father or a mother.

2. an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.

3. a source, origin, or cause.

4. a protector or guardian.

5. Biology. any organism that produces or generates another.

6. Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.

---

adjective

1. being the original source.

   a parent organization.

2. Biology. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another.

   parent cell;

   parent DNA.

verb (used with object)

1. to be or act as parent of.

   to parent children with both love and discipline.

parent British  

/ ˈpɛərənt /

noun

1. a father or mother

2. a person acting as a father or mother; guardian

3. rare an ancestor

4. a source or cause

5. 1. an organism or organization that has produced one or more organisms or organizations similar to itself

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent organism

6. physics chem

   1. a precursor, such as a nucleus or compound, of a derived entity

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent nucleus

      a parent ion

---

Other Word Forms

• nonparent noun
• parenthood noun
• parentless adjective
• parentlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of parent

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin parent-, stem of parēns, noun use of present participle of parere “to bring forth, breed”

Example Sentences

She says popular topics gaining traction include parenting, reality TV and skincare.

From BBC

Brick expert Harp was delighted to hear Lucy was safe, especially given his own experiences as a long-term foster parent.

From BBC

When the affable, athletic Duvall was nearly kicked out of college for poor grades, administrators summoned his parents for an emergency meeting.

From Los Angeles Times

Several school districts, particularly in Texas, had paused Lifetouch services while waiting for clarification, but the company hopes this update will reassure parents, students and schools about the safety of their data.

From Salon

“I have never been married, have no siblings, and both my parents have passed away.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• father
• mother