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

In July, the Lone Pine Canyon Protection Alliance and three longtime residents, including Falb’s mother, Michele, filed a petition in court calling for the county to reconsider the decision granting the vested mining rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

His mother urged other parents to "hold their children a little tighter and cherish every moment".

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Protester Enrique Ortega de Miguel, a 38-year-old graphic designer who lives with his mother, said the housing market in Spain was "impossible".

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Her mother, Afiba, was an enslaved kitchen maid possibly from Ghana or Ivory Coast, who gave birth to a baby girl in 1756 at Fort Nassau, Berbice’s headquarters run by the Society.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

His mother has moved to California from New Hampshire to be with her youngest daughter, Phebe, and her new husband, David Shattuck.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

As he spoke, mothers in the back rows swayed from side to side, hugging exhausted toddlers who had missed nap time.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Accounts described elephants selecting particular plants when they seemed unwell, and mothers reportedly giving medicinal plant material to their calves.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The grants aimed at providing fresh vegetables, chronic-disease screenings, at-home nurse visits for new mothers and other preventive care to low-income populations, according to a government database.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Single mothers with children over the age of 14 may be among those hit the hardest by the new work rules, it added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

As our mothers chatter on, Elizabeth and I exchange glances.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Playing a 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

"He was proper snuggled, not just by me but by Izzy and Livi - he was very mothered."

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2022

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

Nothing makes you want to be mothered quite so much as becoming a mother yourself.

From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2022

The desert has mothered magic things before this.

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

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

I just really, like, I can’t imagine mothering without their help, because they’re just so in tune to each other.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 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

Aunt Queen could see that the child needed some serious mothering.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper

Vocabulary lists containing mother

The Mother of All Lists: Mater, Matr

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!