Definitions for parent
ˈpɛər ənt, ˈpær-par·ent

Princeton's WordNet(4.50 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. parent(noun)

   a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

2. parent(verb)

   an organism (plant or animal) from which younger ones are obtained

3. rear, raise, bring up, nurture, parent(verb)

   bring up

   "raise a family"; "bring up children"

Wiktionary(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. parent(Noun)

   One of the two persons from whom one is immediately biologically descended; a mother or father.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

2. parent(Noun)

   A person who acts as a parent in rearing a child; a step-parent or adoptive parent.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

3. parent(Noun)

   A relative.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

4. parent(Noun)

   The source or origin of something.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

5. parent(Noun)

   An organism from which a plant or animal is immediately biologically descended.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

6. parent(Noun)

   A parent company.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

7. parent(Noun)

   The object from which a child or derived object is descended; a node superior to another node.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

8. parent(Verb)

   To act as parent, to raise or rear.

   Etymology: From parent, parent, from parentem, accusative of parens, present participle of parere.

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Parent(noun)

   one who begets, or brings forth, offspring; a father or a mother

   Etymology: [L. parens, -entis; akin to parere to bring forth; cf. Gr. porei^n to give, beget: cf. F. parent. Cf. Part.]

2. Parent(noun)

   that which produces; cause; source; author; begetter; as, idleness is the parent of vice

   Etymology: [L. parens, -entis; akin to parere to bring forth; cf. Gr. porei^n to give, beget: cf. F. parent. Cf. Part.]

Freebase(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Parent

   A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child. Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child. In all human societies, the biological mother and father are both responsible for raising their young. However, some parents may not be biologically related to their children. An adoptive parent is one who nurtures and raises the offspring of the biological parents but is not actually biologically related to the child. Children without adoptive parents can be raised by their grandparents or other family members. A parent can also be elaborated as an ancestor removed one generation.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Parent

   pār′ent, n. one who begets or brings forth: a father or a mother: one who, or that which, produces: an author: a cause.—n. Par′entage, descent from parents: birth: extraction: rank or character derived from one's parents or ancestors: relation of parents to their children.—adj. Parent′al, pertaining to, or becoming, parents: affectionate: tender.—adv. Parent′ally.—ns. Par′enthood, state of being a parent: duty or feelings of a parent; Parent′icide, one who kills a parent.—adj. Par′entless, without a parent. [Fr., 'kinsman'—L. parens, for pariens, -entis, pr.p. of parĕre, to bring forth.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. parent

   A male and female who cocreate a child together.

   Their parents are so valued, loved and respected.

   Submitted by MaryC on April 26, 2020  

2. parent

   A male or female who created a human being.

   Their parents both were delighted at the birth of their child.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 8, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parent' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2824

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parent' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2303

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parent' in Nouns Frequency: #183

Anagrams for parent »

1. enrapt, entrap, panter, trepan

How to pronounce parent?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say parent in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of parent in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of parent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of parent in a Sentence

1. Charles Barkley:

   I'm from the South, whooping is, we do that all the time. Every black parent in the South is going to be in jail under those circumstances.

2. Oliver Wendell Holmes:

   No stranger can get a great many notes of torture out of a human soul it takes one that knows it well -- parent, child, brother, sister, intimate.

3. Ronda Rousey:

   Can't wait to work with Paramount, the talented Mark Bomback and Mary Parent!

4. Scott McCoy:

   I think Roy Moore is virulently anti-gay, the majority bent over backwards and went through legal gymnastics to not recognize the The Georgia adoption decree where this couple agreed the children would be raised jointly and parent them together.

5. Lee Gelernt:

   Taking a child away from their parent and interfering with the basic constitutional right to family unity, that's about the most draconian thing you can do and it needs the most compelling reason possible, deterrence is a policy measure that uses these children as pawns and violates the basic fundamental notion of what's in the child's best interest.

Images & Illustrations of parent

Popularity rank by frequency of use