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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

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Etymology

Origin of single parent¹

First recorded in 1850–60

Origin of single-parent²

First recorded in 1965–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

single parent single-parent

In female mice, two "sister" cells produced by the division of a single parent cell frequently make the same developmental decision at the same time.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

He first watched the show growing up alongside his mother Clare, a single parent who raised him and his two younger brothers.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

A single parent working hourly shifts doesn’t have that option, and that’s exactly why we have to talk about this.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

He trusts his faith and his mother, who has raised him as a single parent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

“This is a boarding school, and the boys are from the capital. Not a single parent has made it here since the attack started.”

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Children raised in two-parent families in which one parent is employed full time already have a host of advantages, while children raised in low-income single-parent households are more likely to face significant challenges.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

In 52% of two-parent households, both adults work full-time, according to Census Bureau data, and about 25% of children 17 and under live in single-parent households.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

There followed a largely single-parent childhood spent shuttling between the U.S. and Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 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

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

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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