plural dads
informal
: a male parent : father entry 1 sense 1
My mom swam and played soccer, my dad surfed, and my brother played basketball.Shannon Griggs
Don't get me wrong, I'm a good dad who maintains a cheerful household and greets parenthood with a smile and an open heart.Ron Harris
often used as a name
When is Dad getting home?
Dad, can you give me a ride?

Examples of dad in a Sentence

Her mom and dad both said she can't go. my dad did most of the cooking for dinner because he usually got home earlier than my mom
Recent Examples on the Web On the last page, Rash’s son is a grown man, and sits next to his dad, who is bald with a gray beard. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 Oscar Barrett’s dad also bailed on him, as did Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor’s (Finn Wolfhard) dad. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Rose famously was banned from baseball for life in 1989 by then-Commissioner Bartlett Giamatti (yes, Paul’s dad), whose investigation concluded that Rose had bet on major league games as a player and as a manager. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Jason Reitman took over the directorial duties from his father Ivan, who passed away four months after the film’s premiere, and the whole thing very much feels like a son paying tribute to his dad while ticking off franchise boxes. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 My date was the one and only Larry Palmer, my dad, who, along with my mom has been one of my biggest supporters. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 Then his dad who was a jazz musician told him rock’n’roll was dumb. Annika Pham, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 The image features a baby Prince Archie, now 4, held by mom Duchess Meghan, next to dad, Prince Harry. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 One friend’s dad, a criminal-defense attorney, had been scammed out of $1.2 million. María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably baby talk

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dad was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near dad

Cite this Entry

“Dad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dad. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on dad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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