Advertisement
English Lexicon

Father figure

/ˈfɑː.ðɚ ˈfɪɡ.jɚ/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    An older man who is admired, respected, and looked up to for guidance, support, and advice in a manner similar to a father.

    "Throughout his youth, his uncle served as a crucial father-figure."
  2. 2

    A male authority figure who unconsciously evokes feelings and attitudes associated with a person's biological father.

    "The therapist often inadvertently became a father-figure to the troubled young man."
Advertisement

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the combination of 'father', originating from Old English 'fæder' (ultimately from Proto-Germanic *fadēr), and 'figure', coming from Latin 'figura' via Old French. The specific socio-psychological compound emerged in the mid-20th century to describe an older man who commands the respect, affection, and psychological role typically associated with a biological father.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Father figure"?

Advertisement

10 Global Lexicons: How "Father figure" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Father figure"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Father figure" Synonym Map
Advertisement