Showing results for mother. Search instead for mothe.

Definitions

mother

[muhth-er] / ˈmʌð ər /

NOUN

female person who has borne children

Synonyms

STRONGEST

mom parent

STRONG

ancestor creator mommy origin predecessor progenitor source

WEAK

child-bearer forebearer procreator

Antonyms

STRONG

descendant effect end result

WEAK

father

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for mother?

There are many synonyms for mother. The most common is mom, which is an informal, familiar version of mother. The equivalent mum is commonly used in the U.K. and other places. An even more informal and familiar word is mommy, which is especially used by children. A similarly informal word is mama (and its alternate spellings momma and mamma). All of these terms should be capitalized when they’re used as a way of addressing someone (in other words, when they’re used as a name or a substitute for a name). A mother is a parent. A term that specifically references the role of a mother in bearing a child is child-bearer. The term birthing parent is sometimes used as a gender-neutral term in the context of pregnancy and childbirth. A mother who’s the leader of a family might be called a matriarch. Because mothers are traditionally associated with nurture and caregiving, related words are sometimes used as synonyms, such as nurturer and caregiver. Mother is also sometimes used as a verb meaning to care for someone as a mother or like a mother. Sometimes, it’s used in a negative way that implies that a person is smothering or being overbearing toward the person, as in Please don’t mother me—I can take care of myself.

How do you use mother in a sentence?

Mother is most commonly used as a noun, but it can also be a verb. As a noun, it’s capitalized when it’s used as a name or a substitute for a name. Here are some examples of mother in a sentence:

I’ve always wanted to be a mother.
You should really listen to Mother—she has your best interests in mind.
It’s just her nature to try to mother anyone who looks like they need help.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

mother mothers mothered mothering

Once parenthood begins, societal expectations often decenter a mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Manson was born Charles Maddox in Cincinnati to a single mother in 1934.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Krissy West, a school physical therapist and mother from New Hampshire, started advocating for more recess last year, after seeing her daughter Daisy get overwhelmed, sometimes resulting in tantrums after school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

First Lady Melania Trump, who is Barron's mother, and Melania's father Viktor Knavs are both due to attend with the US president.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

Pressing it into Janet’s hand, she says, “Tell your mother she left this here. I’m covering your grandmother’s shift,” she adds, turning to Maggie.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

It grew out of watching mothers sit on the sidelines of their children’s lessons and yearning for a way to get on the court themselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Upstairs, children pore over schoolbooks, mothers prepare lunch and television sets flicker in cramped living rooms, all against the constant background noise of shredders whining and baling presses pounding below.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

One of the subject’s mothers explains that she had to leave home for work, so her son was deprived even of maternal influence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

The researchers say these discoveries help fill an important gap in knowledge about women's biology and could eventually improve care for mothers, including efforts to prevent and treat postpartum depression.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Wicked mothers and sisters can become your biggest cheerleaders.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Playing a vain, pitch-perfect vision of Los Angeles’ wickedness in “Maps to the Stars,” Julianne Moore mothered so hard she almost separated California right down the San Andreas fault line.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

Missing being mothered has driven her to cultivate her Spanish skills, after a college counselor hints that “focusing on a new syntax of any kind could become an escape hatch into new habits of mind.”

From Washington Post ● Mar. 13, 2023

Britney Spears’ public spat with her ex-husband escalated late Wednesday night when Federline uploaded three videos taken by the former spouses’ sons, Jayden and Sean Federline, as their mother, um, mothered them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2022

Nothing makes you want to be mothered quite so much as becoming a mother yourself.

From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2022

The desert has mothered magic things before this.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Would my mothering improve before the baby was born?

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

“Kin,” set in the segregated South in the 1950s and ’60s, focuses on the crucial importance of mothering, sisterhood and close female friendships in young women’s lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

After our fertility journey, 10 years of trying, me birthing this piece of art was me mothering my creativity into existence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2025

"I have always had a mothering instinct," she says, "but for years I had been suppressing it because it was too painful to go there."

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2025

Not that I wanted or needed any mothering.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Vocabulary lists containing mother

The Mother of All Lists: Mater, Matr

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!