spiritual father

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.

After the Iraq war, Khamenei spent time in the city of Qom, where he was mentored by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a radical cleric who is considered the spiritual father of Iran’s hard-liners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Also aboard the jet was Dmitry Utkin, the decorated, former Russian special forces officer who was the mercenary group’s founder and spiritual father.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023

"We’ve known the family ever since we became their spiritual father and mother here. He was a very good, shy, hardworking boy and one of those kiddos who listened to his parents the best."

From Fox News • Mar. 23, 2021

The spiritual father of Impressionism, Monet spent 40 years cultivating his garden and his art at Giverny, 50 miles northwest of Paris.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 3, 2018

Amaroq’s dependable friend, that was true, yet she suspected he was even more than that—a spiritual father of the pups.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George