single father

American  

Informal, single dad

noun

1. a father who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.

---

Etymology

Origin of single father

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Though not as rare as having a gold medal, becoming a single father via surrogacy is a pretty select distinction—so select, in fact, that it’s hard to ascertain the exact numbers.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Mel Hazeltine signed on with Los Angeles Surrogacy in October 2023, agreed to carry a child for a Chinese-Canadian single father and delivered a healthy baby girl this March.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Ieuan Hood, a single father of three, is meticulous when it comes to his finances - he knows where every penny is going.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

Carlson’s first wife left him in 1975, leaving him as a single father to raise Tucker and his brother, Buckley.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

Behind Gregor the sound was at this point no longer like the voice of only a single father.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka