1
a
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
just became parents of twins
b
: a person who brings up and cares for another
foster parents
2
a
: 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
adjective
parented; parenting; parents
: to be or act as a parent
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
Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There are some, and (there) should be increased, opportunities for therapeutic intervention for parents as well.
—Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Today, being a great partner means showing up emotionally, managing part of the home workload, parenting with intention, and nurturing the relationship’s overall health.
—Brian Page, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parent
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Noun
Roberts said Head Start also provides a bunch of different threads of support to parents.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There are some, and (there) should be increased, opportunities for therapeutic intervention for parents as well.
—Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
You Model Emotional Regulation Research has found that mothers and fathers are equally likely to find parenting enjoyable and rewarding.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Today, being a great partner means showing up emotionally, managing part of the home workload, parenting with intention, and nurturing the relationship’s overall health.
—Brian Page, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parent
Cite this Entry
“Parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
parent
noun
par·ent
ˈpar-ənt, ˈper- 
1
: one that begets or brings forth offspring
2
: the material or source from which something is derived
parent
adjective
Legal Definition
parent
noun
par·ent
1
a
: a person who begets or brings forth offspring
especially
: the natural parents of a child born of their marriage
b
: a person who legally adopts a child
c
: a person or entity that owes to a child a legally imposed duty of support
d
: a stepparent where designated by statute
2
: an entity or group that gives rise to or acquires another usually subsidiary entity or group
a parent company
specifically
: a corporation that owns a required minimum percentage of the stock of another corporation compare affiliate
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