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

Born in California in 1999, Presley Gerber modeled like his mother and sister, making his runway debut for Italian label Moschino aged 16.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

He operates in the corridors as a kind of unofficial lieutenant to his mother, bringing cheer and care to his fellow students, spreading sunshine all over the place.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The terrific Ms. Rabe, rarely absent from New York stages for long, reveals a similarly steely spine beneath Brooke’s surface fragilities as a long-delayed conflagration between mother and daughter threatens to erupt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

My sister moved in with our mother, 78, and now says she deserves the $925,000 family home.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

He’d laid his cape over her in the same way the mother had laid her sweater over him.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

At least their mothers would now get their bodies back and qualify for a payout from the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He testified that Vaccaro Hill stole money from him and that the couple argued about a post-nuptial agreement and his relationships with the mothers of his seven other children.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

The review found that 201 babies and nine mothers might have survived with better care.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

She added that many mothers say they are skipping out on their own healthcare so that their kids can go to the doctor, or skipping meals so their kids don’t go hungry.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Even the first-time mothers knew what to do instinctively.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Playing a childless, 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

"She's not eating, being sick, because she mothered her," she said.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

She mothered her 7-year-old daughter, Dariela, straining to distract her from the fact that her little brother was missing.

From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2024

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

She wore satin gloves up to the elbow and mothered a long line of smelly dachshunds with tearstained eyes.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Paulson was not mothering one single bit, delivering marble-mouthed, bottom-of-the-Ryan-Murphy barrel insults on “All’s Fair.”

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

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

She was mothering Oksi and calling a worried “kak, kak” to 426.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Vocabulary lists containing mother

The Mother of All Lists: Mater, Matr

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