single mother

American  

Informal, single mom

noun

• single mothers
  plural

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• single mothers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of single mother

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

single mother

She had a compelling biography, as someone raised by a single mother who rose to graduate from Harvard Law School.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

Meanwhile, Wallis’ Angie is simply a resourceful single mother striving to get home to her 6-year-old daughter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Debaste, a 40-year-old single mother who works a low-pay office job, ran up a large bill on utilities, transportation, groceries and medicine.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

As a single mother and service-industry worker, Hong carries relatable and valuable lived experience that is often missing from the halls of state and federal government.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

The single mother of two, who lived in 5E, told him it was last night’s pasteles, which should still taste good, all he had to do was heat them up.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez