parenthood

[ pair-uh nt-hoo d, par- ]

/ ˈpɛər əntˌhʊd, ˈpær- /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parenthood ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state, position, or relation of a parent.

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RELATED WORDS

gestation, motherhood, parentage, mothership

Nearby words

parentese, parentheses, parenthesis, parenthesize, parenthetical, parenthood, parenticide, parenting, parentless, parents anonymous, parenty

Origin of parenthood

First recorded in 1855–60; parent + -hood

Related formsnon·par·ent·hood, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for parenthood

Camille Hammond, CEO of Tinina Q Cade Foundation, said simply that the pathways to parenthood are different.
Want Blue Eyes With That Baby?: The Strange New World of Human Reproduction|Eleanor Clift|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, presumably, parenthood is linked to marriage for most of these men.
High Manxiety: Thirtysomething Men Are The New Neurotic Singles|Hannah Seligson|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Parenthood is a rare gem on network television: a family drama.
These 5 ‘On the Bubble’ TV Shows Shouldn’t Be Canceled|Kevin Fallon|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nor am I one of those pathetic “men” too wimpy to handle the grit of parenthood.
Why Men Shouldn’t Wait To Have Kids|Conor P. Williams|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Suddenly, the show isn't just a metaphor about marriage; it's a metaphor about parenthood as well.
Why ‘The Americans’ Is the Best Spy Show on TV|Andrew Romano|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The fundamental law of eugenics demands that all education be exerted for parenthood.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume I. (of IV.)|W. Grant Hague, M.D.
Continuance of the society depends on satisfaction of those primarily personal needs which result in marriage and parenthood.
The Data of Ethics|Herbert Spencer
They claim also that such a plan would remove economic restrictions on parenthood which now often work social harm.
The Family and it's Members|Anna Garlin Spencer
Every effort should be made to permeate art—dramatic, plastic, or literary—with the highest ideals of sex and parenthood.
Applied Eugenics|Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson
It is woman who bears the great burden of parenthood, and with her the decision must rest.
Woman and Womanhood|C. W. Saleeby

Word Origin and History for parenthood

parenthood

n.

1856, from parent (n.) + -hood.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper