parent

parent — noun

1. someone who has a child — usually the mother or father, but also a guardian, an

1.nounA1
Definition

someone who has a child — usually the mother or father, but also a guardian, an adoptive carer, or any adult raising that child as their own; also used of animals that have offspring.

Example

Maya's parents drove her to swimming class every Saturday morning.

plural possessive: [name]'s parents

Every parent at the school meeting wanted smaller classes for the children.

singular generic: every parent

Common collocations
  • loving parent
  • adoptive parent
  • single parent
  • biological parent
  • proud parent
Synonyms
  • mother

    specifically the female parent

  • father

    specifically the male parent

  • guardian

    legal carer who may not be a biological parent

  • caregiver

    any adult who looks after a child, often professional

Antonyms
  • child

    the offspring, the opposite role in the relationship

  • offspring

    formal word for the young of a parent

Grammar Patterns

parent of [someone]

Usage Note

Often plural ('parents') when referring to a child's mother and father together. The singular covers a stepparent, adoptive parent, or guardian acting in the same role.

Common Mistakes

My parent is a doctor and a teacher.
My parents are a doctor and a teacher.
use the plural 'parents' when you mean mother and father together.

2. a larger business or organization that owns and controls one or more smaller bus

2.nounB2
Definition

a larger business or organization that owns and controls one or more smaller businesses, which still operate under their own name.

Example

Sony is the parent of several film studios and music labels around the world.

parent of [subsidiaries]

Profits from the small bakery chain went straight back to its parent in Tokyo.

its parent for the owning company

Common collocations
  • parent company
  • parent organization
  • parent group
  • ultimate parent
  • report to a parent
Synonyms
  • holding company

    specifically a firm whose only role is owning others

  • owner

    general term, not limited to corporate structure

Antonyms
  • subsidiary

    the smaller company owned by the parent

  • branch

    a local office that is part of a larger organization

Grammar Patterns

parent company / parent organization

the parent of [smaller company]

Usage Note

Almost always used as a modifier: 'parent company', 'parent organization', 'parent group'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a person): if the subject is a business or institution, this is the right sense.

Common Mistakes

The parent of this app gave it free updates.
The maker of this app gave it free updates.
'parent' here suggests a corporate owner, not the original developer of a single product.

parent — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name an adult responsible for a child, but the scope and tone differ. 'Parent' is the everyday word and usually implies a biological or legal mother/father bond — it carries the strongest sense of long-term family ties. 'Guardian' is more formal and legal: a guardian has been officially given the right and duty to care for a minor, often when the parents are absent or unable. 'Caregiver' is broader and more clinical, covering anyone — relative, nurse, or hired worker — who provides daily care, including for adults and the elderly. 'Caretaker' overlaps with caregiver in American English but in British English often means someone who looks after a building. Compare: 'My parents adopted me.' 'My uncle is my legal guardian.' 'The nursery hired a new caregiver.'

parent ↗guardian ↗caregiver ↗caretaker

Common collocations

Nouns

  • parent company
  • parent organization
  • parent group
  • parent figure
  • parent-teacher meeting

Adverbs

Phrases

  • proud parent of
  • loving parent
  • single parent
  • first-time parent
  • stay-at-home parent

Prepositions

  • parent of
  • parent to
  • parent with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

From Latin 'parens, parentis', meaning 'one who gives birth' (from the verb 'parere', 'to bring forth'). The word travelled through Old French 'parent' (relative, family member) and entered Middle English in the 1300s with the meaning 'father or mother'. The wider sense of 'a source from which other things grow' — used today for parent companies and parent organizations — developed in English from the 1500s as a natural figurative extension. The verb 'to parent' (to raise a child) is much newer, becoming common only in the late 1900s as parenting itself became a topic of public discussion.