parent
noun
par·ent
| \ ˈper-ənt
\
\
Definition of parent
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
just became parents of twins
b
: a person who brings up and cares for another
foster parents
2a
: 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
verb
parented;
parenting;
parents
Definition of parent (Entry 2 of 2)
: to be or act as a parent
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Other Words from parent
Noun
parent
adjective
parental
\ pə-ˈren-tᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective
parentally
\ pə-ˈren-tᵊl-ē
\
adverb
\
adverb
parentless
\ ˈper-ənt-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
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
Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ singles and couples. — BostonGlobe.com, "Keiana is ready to have a family of her own," 8 Sep. 2019 Her parents, Marie and Émile Guy, were French but lived in Chile, where her father was a bookseller; Marie returned to France for Alice’s birth and then left the child with a grandmother. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, "Overlooked No More: Alice Guy Blaché, the World’s First Female Filmmaker," 8 Sep. 2019 Trent's parents were the first to walk through the gate. — Jenna West, SI.com, "Purdue Dedicates Tyler Trent Student Gate at Ross-Ade Stadium," 7 Sep. 2019 Also pictured are twins Wesley and Charlotte Merritt, who help with the nonprofit that their parents established. — Ramona Sentinel, "Special Liberty Project receives $2,500 for Gold Star event," 7 Sep. 2019 My parents were always big into giving back to the community. — Jane Stueckemann, Houston Chronicle, "Villager Q&A: Mary-Lou Fitch, a Hometown Hero, shares her life of service," 6 Sep. 2019 But being involved in the historic home renovation process came with its own mix of feelings brought on by the absence of her Brady Bunch parents, Robert Reed (Mike), Florence Henderson (Carol), and the family’s housekeeper, Ann B. Davis (Alice). — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "A Very Brady Renovation Left Maureen McCormick and The Fords Starstruck for Each Other," 6 Sep. 2019 In her telling, both her parents were brilliant and loving, but her father was an alcoholic. — Belinda Luscombe, Time, "Former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power Has a Lot of Stories to Tell—and No Problem Talking," 5 Sep. 2019 My parents emigrated from Jamaica to Canada in the ’70s. — Heather Greenwood Davis, National Geographic, "What I’ve learned as a black traveler," 5 Sep. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
At the end of the film, Madison and Tom become co-parenting partners. — Marie Claire, "Feminist Writers Re-Write the Endings to 3 Classic Rom-Coms," 15 Feb. 2019 Another study, by the Open University in England, found childless couples were happier with their relationships and their partners than parents were, and were doing more work on their relationships than parenting couples. — Jack Guy, CNN, "Having kids makes you happier -- once they've moved out," 19 Aug. 2019 The couple has been co-parenting their son Kiyan during this difficult period. — Paula Rogo, Essence, "La La Anthony In 'Legal Discussions' As She Contemplates Future With Carmelo Anthony," 4 July 2019 This Will Only Hurt a Little), hosting her own late-night show (Busy Tonight), parenting her two daughters (ages five and 10), or even posting an early-morning workout on Instagram Stories. — Glamour, "Busy Philipps Thinks We Should Celebrate Our Skin—Yes, Even Acne," 1 Apr. 2019 Dads actually parent their toddler daughters differently than their toddler son, according to a new study published in Behavioral Neuroscience, and fathers with daughters are more attentive to their daughters than dads with sons. — Emma Baty, Redbook, "'Daddy's Little Girl' Isn't Such a Cliché After All," 1 June 2017 Often, parenting grandparents are struggling with same issues as their grandchildren, dealing with the children’s troubled parents, and in the most tragic cases mourning their loss. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Growing old and back in the ‘bouncy house,’ more grandparents are raising grandkids," 12 Aug. 2019 Affleck’s signature mournful pragmatism serves him well in the role of a man seeking to thoughtfully parent and protect his child under unimaginably precarious circumstances. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Casey Affleck returns to directing with the father-daughter story ‘Light of My Life’," 8 Aug. 2019 In the rant, a mother of a 3-year-old describes the challenges of parenting a toddler while upset at the care-free manner in which young visitors to Walt Disney World go about their day. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Angry mom’s Disney rant raises debate: kids vs. no kids," 29 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for parent
parent
noun
English Language Learners Definition of parent
: a person who is a father or mother : a person who has a child
: an animal or plant that produces a young animal or plant
: something out of which another thing has developed
See the full definition for parent in the English Language Learners Dictionary
parent
noun
par·ent
| \ ˈper-ənt
\
\
Kids Definition of parent
1
: a father or mother of a child
2
: an animal or plant that produces offspring
parent
noun
par·ent
| \ ˈpar-ənt, ˈper-