son

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a human male offspring especially of human beings
b
: a male adopted child
c
: a human male descendant
2
capitalized : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a person closely associated with or deriving from a formative agent (such as a nation, school, or race)
sonhood noun

son-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or sono-
: sound
sonic
sonogram

Examples of son in a Sentence

Noun She gave birth to a son. They have two sons and a daughter. He is the son of a lawyer and a doctor. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The father and son ranchers had set fires on Refuge lands after the family’s permit to graze on trails used since the 19th Century was revoked. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024 King has reported from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. More about John King King has three children, two - a son and a daughter - from his first wife Jean Makie, and one with fellow CNN anchor Dana Bash. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 Morris' son, James Morris, and his wife, Bridget, also stepped down from leadership roles in the church last summer. Jenna Sundel, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Nelson’s son, President Nelson, confirmed her death but did not provide a cause. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for son 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sone, from Old English sunu; akin to Old High German sun son, Greek hyios

Combining form

Latin sonus sound

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of son was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near son

Cite this Entry

“Son.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/son. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

son

noun
1
a
: a male offspring especially of human parents
b
: a human male descendant
2
capitalized : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a man or boy closely associated with or thought of as a child of something (as a country, race, or religion)

More from Merriam-Webster on son

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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