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single parent

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noun
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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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of single parent

First recorded in 1850–60

Other definitions for single parent (2 of 2)

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

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

Origin of single-parent

First recorded in 1965–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use single parent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for single parent

single parent

noun
  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
Also called (NZ): solo parent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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