founding father

noun

1

: an originator of an institution or movement : founder

2

often capitalized both Fs : a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

specifically : a member of the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

Synonyms

• author
• begetter
• creator
• establisher
• father
• founder
• generator
• inaugurator
• initiator
• instituter
• institutor
• originator
• sire

Examples of founding father in a Sentence

a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers

Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism.

Recent Examples on the Web

An earlier book by Cook, Tommy’s Honor, about old Tom Morris and young Tom Morris, considered the founding father and son of golf, had a film adaptation that won Scotland’s BAFTA as the best feature film of 2016. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025

In the ’90s, Ronald Reagan said that the Contras [the right-wing militias that waged guerilla warfare against the Marxist governments] were the equivalent of the American founding fathers. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025

Back in January, Miranda reprised the role of Alexander Hamilton during a Saturday Night Live cold open in which the founding father was interrupted mid-rap by James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025

The revolutionary musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. —Adam Tamburin, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for founding father

• bother
• forefather
• godfather
• grandfather
• stepfather

Kids Definition

founding father

noun

found·​ing father

ˈfau̇n-diŋ-

1

: one that starts or helps to start an institution or a movement

2

often capitalized : a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

Legal Definition

founding father

noun

found·​ing fa·​ther

often capitalized both Fs

: a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.

specifically : a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787