parenthood
Americannoun
Usage
What does parenthood mean? Parenthood is the state of being a parent. A person enters parenthood when they become a parent. This most commonly happens when their child is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by marrying or becoming a partner to someone with children. The terms motherhood and fatherhood are gender-specific versions of parenthood. The related noun parenting can mean the same thing as parenthood, but it more commonly refers to the process of raising children or the methods and techniques used to do so, as in I didn’t know anything about parenting before I entered parenthood. Example: People who have not experienced parenthood probably shouldn’t be so quick to criticize how other people parent their children.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parenthood
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.
These are not the people who need to be convinced that parenthood is desirable, but this is the group that needs support to achieve their goal.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
American parenthood is plagued with structural problems: A lack of affordable childcare, an increasingly rising standard for “good” parenting, and a cost of living that necessitates more than one income per family.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
The series is a running exploration of childhood, parenthood and the passage of time through a world of playthings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Luke is now aged two and his parents say he is a "lovely, lovely boy" and very "special" to them, but Conor said he initially struggled with parenthood.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Barack and I laughed about what parenthood had done to us.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
