fostered
Americanadjective
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promoted or cultivated.
We need to cut through the deliberately fostered confusions that persist in the debate surrounding the referendum campaign.
The two-acre garden displays six species of its independently fostered roses.
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cared for as a foster child in the home of someone other than the natural or adoptive parents.
In that jurisdiction, 17 percent of all fostered children aged 5 to 18 had been in the same placement for more than five years.
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(of animals)
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cared for temporarily as a pet in a home until adoption can be arranged, often because medical care is required.
Once recovered, the fostered dogs had a better chance of being adopted than healthy ones straight from the shelter.
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raised by other than its own biological parents.
Two male penguins entrusted with the care of a fostered egg have welcomed a tiny penguin chick into the world.
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verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fostered
First recorded in 1580–90; foster ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; foster ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
His eight months as ambassador have been marked by a series of crises that have fostered growing distrust of America among many Europeans.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Some of the outfits seem to confer the power of flight, though that illusion is fostered by the delirious energy of human forms liberated from conformity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Outgoing Prime Minister Orban fostered strong ties, making Hungary a key European hub for Chinese manufacturing.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
It fostered an unprecedented youth-mental-health crisis that’s still playing out today.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
Mrs. Ortiz often fostered infants, so she spent many hours bottle-feeding them.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
