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

She is tasked with using a new device to remotely pilot the body of a brain-dead patient from California to New England, where the grieving mother of the comatose man awaits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“But when you speak in your mother tongue, your body tenses up a bit because you think, ‘I understand the full emotional spectrum of what I’m talking about.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

"I think Samos was the perfect place to start," the 21-year-old university student said, wheeling her luggage alongside her mother as they waited for a ferry off the Greek island of Samos.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Isabelle Welsh was a "happy and thriving" child before her mother, Alexandra Walker, invited Harrison Simpson into their lives in Thornaby, Stockton, in June 2025, Teesside Crown Court heard.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

“For your mother, Corrie,” Tine said, holding out the flowers as I opened the door.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Earlier studies have found that children born to mothers who experience inflammation during pregnancy may have a greater likelihood of developing traits associated with autism.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

“Techniquely,” refreshingly, is about teaching foodies the things that their mothers and Julia Child never taught them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Now, she’s founded For All Mothers+, a nonprofit that supports mothers with resources, research and services such as childcare grants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

There were times I feared nothing would change, but these mothers were absolutely determined, their daughters driving them on.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Their mothers had drawers full of socks without mates.

From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary

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

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

Thus has it been since an ailing William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, transformed into Patrick Troughton, Doctor Two, in 1966 — an invention mothered by necessity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2022

Davy baked and left cookies on my bed, and she always monitored my health and mothered me with homemade soup when I was sick.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

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

But the mothering role has been usurped by Roman’s mother, Tara, with whom the couple lives in Adamsville, N.Y., a small town undergoing a post-COVID gentrification.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2024

Frightful was far back in the corner, mothering.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Vocabulary lists containing mother

The Mother of All Lists: Mater, Matr

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