parent

1 of 2

noun

par·​ent ˈper-ənt How to pronounce parent (audio)
1
a
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
just became parents of twins
b
: a person who brings up and cares for another
foster parents
2
a
: an animal or plant that is regarded in relation to its offspring
The parent brings food to the chicks.
b
: the material or source from which something is derived
Latin is the parent of several languages.
c
: a group from which another arises and to which it usually remains subsidiary
a parent company
parent adjective
parental adjective
parentally adverb
parentless adjective

parent

2 of 2

verb

parented; parenting; parents

transitive verb

: to be or act as the parent of : originate, produce

intransitive verb

: to be or act as a parent

Examples of parent in a Sentence

Noun My parents live in New York. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian of the child. The parent brings food to the chicks. The new plant will have characteristics of both parent plants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Join Meghan every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, for a live chat to answer questions from parents trying to raise kids of any age. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024 In particular, the differences were the result of several factors: Each parent’s legal defense strategy, the amount of digital evidence and the prosecution’s differing focus on firearms and mental health. Eric Levenson, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Mei Li's husband, Sam Haskell, has been charged with murdering his 37-year-old wife and her parents, Gaoshan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, last November in Tarzana, Calif. Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Two parents, Christopher and Kimberly Garnier, left critical comments and replies to posts on the board members’ accounts and were blocked. Associated Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 While conservative boycotts of Bud Light and Target saw both falter in sales, Bud Light parent Anheuser-Busch InBev grew revenue last quarter after raising prices. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 More than a decade in the making, Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is unleashing its wheeled robots into the center of car culture with a machine devoid of the distinctly human emotions of road rage and commuter manners. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 The school faces lawsuits over decisions that day that allowed the gunman to stay in school after meeting with a counselor, the dean of students and his parents over a disturbing drawing on a math worksheet. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 In the sixth grade, his parents took him to his first concert, Johnny Cash. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
Disengage, a directive even many women behind parenting accounts advise. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024 Against that backdrop, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — herself the single mother of a single child — is agitating for her compatriots to give parenting a second chance, and in December brought Elon Musk to Rome to beat that drum. Alessandra Migliaccio, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 Children whose parents have been killed by Israeli bombardment – or who have been separated from their guardians – are forced to take on the role of parenting younger siblings. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 For Robin Thicke, parenting his kids — Julian, Mia, Lola and Luca — has been instrumental in his personal healing. Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 The study also optimistically notes that students parenting might be slightly more motivated to complete their education than non-parenting students when all things are equal. A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 16 Feb. 2024 For someone like Margaret—who now struggles to parent her other children—how could the world not seem to revolve around her loss? Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024 During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark in May, the Mother actress opened up about parenting teens with her husband. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024 Now fans get to see the couple married; parenting their son, True Legend; and being fertility-awareness advocates. Taiia Smart Young, Essence, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin parent-, parens "father or mother, progenitor, ancestor," probably from an aorist participle of parere "to give birth to, bring into being, produce" — more at parturient entry 1

Verb

derivative of parent entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1663, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of parent was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near parent

Cite this Entry

“Parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent
ˈpar-ənt,
ˈper-
1
a
: one that is a father or mother
b
: an animal or plant that produces offspring
2
: the original source of something
parent adjective
parenthood
-ˌhu̇d
noun

Medical Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent ˈpar-ənt, ˈper- How to pronounce parent (audio)
1
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
2
: the material or source from which something is derived
parent adjective
parental adjective

Legal Definition

parent

noun
par·​ent
1
a
: a person who begets or brings forth offspring
especially : the natural parents of a child born of their marriage
b
: a person who legally adopts a child
c
: a person or entity that owes to a child a legally imposed duty of support
d
: a stepparent where designated by statute
2
: an entity or group that gives rise to or acquires another usually subsidiary entity or group
a parent company
specifically : a corporation that owns a required minimum percentage of the stock of another corporation compare affiliate
parent adjective
parental adjective
parentally adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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