1
: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents
He became an orphan when his parents died in a car accident.
2
: a young animal that has lost its mother
feeding calves that are orphans
3
: one deprived of some protection or advantage
orphans of the storm
refugee orphans of the war
4
: a first line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the bottom of a printed page or column
orphan
adjective
Examples of orphan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
If another black bear cub comes into a rehab center, state officials will consider housing it at Ramona so the two orphans can pair up.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
She’s recently been orphaned, along with her older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) who is struggling to hold down a job and hold their little family together, while deferring her own dreams of college and keeping nagging social workers at bay.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orphan
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Noun
The show’s namesake character is Cassian Andor, a pilot, played by Diego Luna, who was taken from his home planet as an orphan by sympathetic smugglers.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
If another black bear cub comes into a rehab center, state officials will consider housing it at Ramona so the two orphans can pair up.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Verb
What Happens In Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’? Lilo & Stitch depicts Lilo and her sister Nani in a difficult, but very loving relationship—the two are orphaned and Nani is tasked with taking care of her little sister.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
She’s recently been orphaned, along with her older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) who is struggling to hold down a job and hold their little family together, while deferring her own dreams of college and keeping nagging social workers at bay.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orphan
Cite this Entry
“Orphan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orphan. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
orphan
2 of 2 verb
orphaned; orphaning
ˈȯrf-(ə-)niŋ 
: to cause to become an orphan
children orphaned by war
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