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• single parent
  single parent

  noun

  a parent or guardian who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.
• single-parent
  single-parent

  adjective

  of or noting a family in which a parent brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: a single-parent household.

single parent

¹ American  

noun

• single parents
  plural

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

   Being a single parent isn’t easy.

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single-parent ² American  

[sing-guhl-pair-uhnt, ‐-par-uhnt] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˈpɛər ənt, ‐ˈpær ənt /

adjective

1. of or noting a family in which a parent brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: a single-parent household.

   a single-parent family;

   a single-parent household.

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single parent British  

noun

1. Also called (NZ): solo parent. 

   1. a person who has a dependent child or dependent children and who is widowed, divorced, or unmarried

   2. ( as modifier )

      a single-parent family

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• single parents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of single parent¹

First recorded in 1850–60

Origin of single-parent²

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

single parent single-parent

It doesn’t matter if one’s ancestorial roots are in slavery, religious persecution, Appalachian poverty, a single parent family or New York projects.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

“A single parent raising a kid, they have to take time off work, they have to get child care. It just seems like if that’s our system, it isn’t really working for us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

He has largely been a single parent to Shy’tyra and her siblings, who need some support too, although they’re more self-sufficient.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026

"I'm a single parent on one part-time pay-cheque – shopping shouldn't be luxury," she said.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

Their daughter, Tanya, was five years old, and Marina was only twenty-three when she became a single parent.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Sign of the time: No father is present in Andy’s home, a fact that nobody mentions in the movie, but didn’t go unnoticed by viewers from single-parent homes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

The rate was 56% for families with children, due in part to the high share of single-parent households and families with three or more children that do not earn enough to thrive.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025

Although my decision was fueled by single-parent shame, his decision was matter-of-fact.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2025

She’s an only child who lives in a single-parent home.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell