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
Keep scrolling for more
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
Human nature leads children to seek love, and to try mightily to have contact with -- and please -- their parents. — Ask Amy, oregonlive.com, "Ask Amy: Sons want to pool their allowance money to buy phone for deadbeat dad," 26 Aug. 2019 The twins' channels and accounts are run by their respective parents. — Ines Novacic, CBS News, ""Twinfluencers" multiply on social media," 25 Aug. 2019 The family started a small business and his parents worked hard to give him and his siblings a good life. — orlandosentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 8/25," 25 Aug. 2019 Ruby was predeceased by her parents Emeline and Zachariah Henry and also her husband Vincent Newman. — courant.com, "Ruby E. Newman," 25 Aug. 2019 The violence in 2017 is not new: the Myanmar military has launched similarly brutal campaigns against the Rohingya in the past, including in 1978, when my parents were among those who fled across the border into Bangladesh. — Tun Khin, Time, "It's Been Two Years Since 730,000 Rohingya Were Forced to Flee. There's No End in Sight to the Crisis," 25 Aug. 2019 She was preceded in death by her parents John A. and Lola A. nee Fuhrman Hornback. — sun-sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 8/25," 25 Aug. 2019 Where were their parents really going when that ship went down? — Marc Snetiker, EW.com, "Frozen 2 teases Anna and Elsa's parents, a proposal, and an 'Unknown' showstopper," 24 Aug. 2019 The kids live in Avon, Columbus and Baltimore and gifted their parents with five grandchildren. — Linda Gandee/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Gary and Pamela Ebert to be honored at the 2019 BAYarts annual Moondance," 24 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2019 Courts in every state recommend the app as a co-parenting tool. — Andrea Barbalich, Woman's Day, "5 Apps To Help You Through Divorce," 5 June 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
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