father
father — noun
1. a male parent who raises one or more children, whether they are his biological o
a male parent who raises one or more children, whether they are his biological offspring or adopted and part of his family
Felipe became a father when his daughter was born last spring.
become a father — common collocation for first-time parenthood
Yael's father taught her how to fish at the lake near their home.
The little boy drew a picture of his father for the art class.
Christopher invited his father to watch the school concert on Friday.
- mother
the female parent of a child
文法句型
father + of + [child/children]
用法筆記
In everyday speech, 'dad' is more common than 'father'. 'Father' sounds more formal or distant. The possessive 'father's' is frequently used in front of nouns, as in 'father's day' or 'father's car'.
常見錯誤
2. a formal title for Christian clergy, most commonly used within the Roman Catholi
a formal title for Christian clergy, most commonly used within the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions
Father Dewi spoke at the wedding ceremony last Saturday afternoon.
Father + [name] — title used before a priest's name, always capitalized
Eliska's family goes to see Father Naoko for confession every month.
The children asked Father Femi to tell them a story from the Bible.
Father Felipe gave a blessing to the children after the morning mass.
文法句型
Father + [name]
Father + bare title
用法筆記
Always capitalized when used as a title before a name. This form of address is specific to Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican traditions. Protestant clergy are typically called 'Pastor', 'Reverend', or 'Minister', not 'Father'.
常見錯誤
3. the term that Christians use when speaking of God as a caring parent who watches
the term that Christians use when speaking of God as a caring parent who watches over all people and creation
During the service, the congregation thanked the Father for the harvest.
thank the Father — religious register, always capitalized
The children recited the Lord's Prayer, starting with the words 'Our Father'.
Amelia learned that Christians often call God their Father in heaven.
Élise prayed to the Father every evening before going to sleep.
文法句型
the Father
Our Father
用法筆記
Always capitalized. This sense appears most often in prayer, worship songs, and theological writing. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, 'the Father' is the first person, distinct from the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
常見錯誤
4. a man who creates or starts something important, such as an organization or acad
a man who creates or starts something important, such as an organization or academic field, and is later seen as its originator
Defne read about the father of modern medicine in her science class.
father of [field] — fixed phrase for originator of a branch of knowledge
The university gave an award to the man known as the father of computer science.
Femi wrote a report about the founding fathers of the United Nations.
Nora gave a presentation about the fathers of modern architecture in her art history class.
- founder
more general term; does not carry the metaphorical 'parent' connotation
- originator
emphasizes being the first to think of or create something
- pioneer
highlights being among the first to explore or develop a new area
文法句型
father + of + [field/institution/movement]
用法筆記
This sense often appears in fixed phrases: 'founding father' (someone who helped establish an institution or country) and 'father of [field]' (the first major figure in a discipline). The word is metaphorical — no actual family relationship is implied.
father — verb
1. to make a woman pregnant and become the biological parent of a child that is bor
to make a woman pregnant and become the biological parent of a child that is born from that pregnancy
The documentary told the story of a man who fathered over twenty children.
Eliska's great-grandfather fathered six children on the family farm in Wales.
fathered [number] [children] — transitive, formal, biological sense
According to the family records, Felipe's ancestor fathered twins in 1890.
The biography states that the explorer fathered three children with his wife in Australia.
文法句型
father + [child/children]
用法筆記
This is a formal or biological term. In everyday conversation, people usually say 'became a father', 'had a child', or 'got someone pregnant' instead of using 'father' as a verb. The verb is most common in historical, legal, or documentary contexts.