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parentless

British  
/ ˈpɛərəntˌlɪs /

adjective

  1. having no living parents; orphaned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Not that the children who passed through the Innocenti’s chambers were necessarily parentless: The vast majority were illegitimate, the result of reckless or criminal liaisons their natural parents found it necessary to cover up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Seed only began exploring the true breadth and emotion of her mother’s legacy when she herself reached the age that her mom died, a milestone fraught for many grown, parentless children.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025

It has noted that the authorities are searching for relatives of parentless children left in Ukraine to find opportunities to send them home when possible.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2022

The minor is almost 17 years old and parentless.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2022

I thought of my sisters and I standing there, parentless, yet in constant celebration of our parents’ lives.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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