daughter

daughter — noun

1. a girl or woman considered in relation to her parents — the female child whom th

1.nounA1
Definition

a girl or woman considered in relation to her parents — the female child whom they have raised or adopted.

Example

The Atakans' daughter Defne planted roses with her father in the back garden last weekend.

possessive: daughter's / father and daughter

Erik took a photo of his daughter Iris on her first day of school.

Common collocations
  • only daughter
  • eldest / oldest daughter
  • youngest daughter
  • baby daughter
  • adopted daughter
  • daughter-in-law
Synonyms
  • child

    neutral term; works for any gender and does not specify the female relationship

  • offspring

    very formal or scientific; works for both humans and animals

  • girl

    informal when used as a family term; can also mean any young female, causing ambiguity

Antonyms
  • son

    the male counterpart in the parent–child relationship

Usage Note

Daughter is the female counterpart of 'son'. Unlike 'girl', which refers to any female child by age, 'daughter' always implies the parent–child relationship. The word can be used for children by birth or by adoption.

Common Mistakes

She is my girl.' (to mean 'daughter')
She is my daughter.
'My girl' is ambiguous; it can mean a girlfriend, a female friend, or a daughter in informal speech.
I have two girls, ages five and seven.
I have two daughters, ages five and seven.
Using 'girls' for one's children is common in casual conversation but 'daughters' is clearer in writing.
Idioms

like mother, like daughter

idiom

used to say that a daughter behaves or thinks in a similar way to her mother, often in a way that is typical of their family.

When Beatrix started knitting scarves for the whole family, her grandmother laughed and said, "Like mother, like daughter."

daughter of the soil

idiom

a woman who was born in and has strong ties to a particular rural area or country.

The Senator introduced herself as a daughter of the soil who had never forgotten her farming roots.

daughter — adjective

Word family

  • daughterly
    adjectiveC1
  • daughter-in-law
    nounB1
  • stepdaughter
    nounB1
  • granddaughter
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all refer to a young person or to someone in relation to their parents, but they differ in gender specificity and relationship emphasis. 'Daughter' is the most precise: it means a female child in relation to her parents. 'Girl' emphasizes age and gender but not the family tie — a girl may be a stranger's child or an adult daughter. 'Child' is gender-neutral and works for both sons and daughters; it is the broadest everyday term. 'Offspring' is formal or scientific, used in biology or legal contexts, and strips away the emotional dimension of family. In conversation, say 'my daughter' to name the relationship; say 'a girl' to describe age or gender without the parent–child link; say 'my child' when you want to be inclusive; and reserve 'offspring' for technical or humorous writing.

daughter ↗girl ↗child ↗offspring ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • only daughter
  • eldest daughter
  • youngest daughter
  • baby daughter
  • adopted daughter

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Daughter comes from Old English 'dohtor', which meant a female child in relation to her parents. The word can be traced back to Proto-Germanic '*duhtēr' and further to the ancient Indo-European root '*dʰugh₂tḗr', a term shared by many languages across Europe and Asia — from Sanskrit 'duhitā' to Greek 'thygátēr' to Russian 'doch''. This widespread root suggests the word has been part of human language for over five thousand years.