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

The soap followed her as she grieved and began to navigate life as a single mother.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Manson was born Charles Maddox in Cincinnati to a single mother in 1934.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Kochaporn was a single mother of a daughter who also came to Bangkok to do a DNA test, Jarunee said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

“I raised my children there as a single mother, and it was the last home my son lived in before he passed away unexpectedly.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

She was a working woman and a single mother.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein