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

Zhang Tian, 27, said her mother wants her to have a stable job, get married and have children.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Prosecuting counsel Christopher Paxton, KC, asked the mother if there were any concerns about how her son was using his phone and if she was checking his phone.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

As that drama was unfolding, Dailor was already mourning the loss of his mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Mona transforms before our eyes from a diffident mother of two in an unhappy marriage into the star she always could be, though not without a few bumps in the road.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

It was only one of the many ways in which she disappointed her mother.

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

Three mothers, their three daughters and two adult males were freed in a reserve in the west of the island on Friday.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 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

He has encountered numerous mothers coping with the sudden death of their partner from causes such as shootings, car accidents and other unexpected events.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

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

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Gingersnipes said, “And that’s great for you, rock belly, but you are a tortoise and Clare is a fox. Different, see? Foxes love their mothers, and tortoises throw themselves parties for simply being alive.”

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

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

I was mothered, in many ways, by my friend Miss Major, a Black trans woman who lives in Little Rock, Ark., and was at the Stonewall riots.

From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 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

She had mothered him since he turned up in her bilingual-education classroom in Washington, D.C., a scrawny 10-year-old fresh from El Salvador.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 18, 2021

The desert has mothered magic things before this.

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

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

In her new Netflix movie “Goodbye June,” she’s the one who needs mothering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

Reflecting on her character's journey in the film, Adams explained: "Through her parenting - through her mothering - she got in touch with something bigger and something primal."

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2024

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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