single-parent

[sing-guh l-pair-uh nt, ‐par-uh nt]

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

single parent

noun

a parent or guardian who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: Being a single parent isn’t easy.

Origin of single parent

First recorded in 1850–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for single-parent

Contemporary Examples of single-parent

Single-parent, same-sex, and common-law families barely penetrated public consciousness, much less the Hebrew lexicon.
People-Powered Social Revolution in Israel Promotes Rights of Same-Sex Families
Irit Rosenblum
November 15, 2013
The fact that the new president of the United States was the product of a single-parent home was cited by both sides.
American Dreams, 1993: The Road to Wellville by T. Coraghessan Boyle
Nathaniel Rich
October 30, 2013
I come from a single-parent family, and am a single child, so I spent a fair amount of time on my own, usually reading.
Why I Choose to Be Child-Free: Readers Share Their Stories
Harry Siegel
February 27, 2013
More than half of all American children will spend some time as a member of a single-parent family.
When Your Child Kills: the Parents of Criminals
Andrew Solomon
December 21, 2012
Sons grew up to become less likely to form bonds with mates, making another generation of single-parent vole families more likely.
Free Birth Control: Could It Transform Society?
Brian Alexander, Larry Young
October 19, 2012

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