parent

[pair-uhnt, par-]

noun

1. a father or a mother.

2. an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.

3. a source, origin, or cause.

4. a protector or guardian.

5. Biology.,  any organism that produces or generates another.

6. Physics.,  the first nuclide in a radioactive series.

adjective

1. being the original source.

   a parent organization.

2. Biology.,  pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another.

   parent cell;

   parent DNA.

verb (used with object)

1. to be or act as parent of.

   to parent children with both love and discipline.

parent

/ ˈpɛərənt /

noun

1. a father or mother

2. a person acting as a father or mother; guardian

3. rare,  an ancestor

4. a source or cause

5. 1. an organism or organization that has produced one or more organisms or organizations similar to itself

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent organism

6. physics chem

   1. a precursor, such as a nucleus or compound, of a derived entity

   2. ( as modifier )

      a parent nucleus

      a parent ion

Other Word Forms

• parentless adjective
• parentlike adjective
• nonparent noun
• parenthood noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of parent¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin parent-, stem of parēns, noun use of present participle of parere “to bring forth, breed”

Word History and Origins

Origin of parent¹

C15: via Old French from Latin parens parent, from parere to bring forth

Example Sentences

And as a lifelong horror fan who speaks nostalgically of watching 1970s films such as “The Wicker Man,” “The Omen” and “The Exorcist” with his parents, Halloween Horror Nights is especially dear to Slash’s heart.

From Los Angeles Times

While 1st Amendment experts said CBS News had done nothing wrong, parent company Paramount settled the case for $16 million to help clear the regulatory hurdles for its merger with Skydance Media.

From Los Angeles Times

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke "at length" with the parents of both men following the video's release, according to a statement from his office.

From BBC

Despite her lack of qualifications, her parents found her employment at an exclusive kindergarten - but their real focus remained finding her a husband.

From BBC

Her parents are both creative people — her father is Aled Jones, a musician and radio presenter — but she says they knew nothing about the acting world when she got her start.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• father 
• mother