single mother
noun
a mother who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.
single mothers
-
pluralof single mother.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Despite a significant proportion of American births to single mothers, the number of unmarried women giving birth has actually been decreasing for the past decade, with the decline largely driven by teenagers and working-class women.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
The teenage Kelly also starred alongside her mom and sister in a Charles Schwab commercial about how single mothers learn to run their family’s finances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Ibrahimi, whose four children huddled around the stove in her spartan living room, is one of 10 single mothers living in the new community.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
"Dozens of children have been fathered by British soldiers who returned home, leaving behind single mothers facing stigma and financial hardship," it stated.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
Of the small number of poor single mothers who marry, 56 percent are lifted out of poverty, according to a 2002 study conducted by Signe-Mary McKernan and Caroline Ratcliffe for the Urban Institute.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
