˜yÐÄvlog

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

godparent

[ god-pair-uhnt, -par- ]

noun

  1. a godfather or godmother.


godparent

/ ˈɡɒ»åËŒ±èɛə°ùÉ™²Ô³Ù /

noun

  1. a person who stands sponsor to another at baptism
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of godparent1

First recorded in 1860–65; god + parent
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She said she was convinced by the daughter of one of her godparents to travel to Indonesia to start a new job as a maid.

From

If the new breed of outdoor magazines had a family tree, The Surfer’s Journal might be the parents, maybe the godparents.

From

Along with being a godparent for Prince George, he is also reported to be godfather to the Duke of Sussex's son, Prince Archie.

From

The Thomases are intimately involved with the Bolicks family, according to the Post and the Arizona Mirror, which reported Justice Thomas is godparent to the Bolicks’ son.

From

Recently, the couple were asked to be the godparents of a girl they cared for.

From

Advertisement

Related ˜yÐÄvlogs

Discover More

More About Godparent

What doesÌýgodparent mean?

A godparent is a person who has pledged to help with the upbringing of a child, especially in a religious way.

In some denominations of Christianity, when a child is baptized, they are sponsored by (usually two) adults who pledge to help in this way. Those adults are the child’s godparents, and the child is their godchild.

Godparents are often related to their godchildren (an aunt might be her nephew’s godmother, for example), but they don’t need to be.

Godparents also often pledge to become the godchild’s guardian if needed (in the event that the child’s parents die).

These terms are all sometimes applied outside of a religious context—parents may choose close relatives or friends to act as godparents for their children without any religious aspect to the relationship.

A godparent can still refer to their godchild with that term even after the child becomes an adult.

Example: Some people are godparents in name only, but Kelly and Chris spend as much time as they can with their godchildren.

Where doesÌýgodparent come from?

The first records of the word godparent come from around 1700. Godmother and godfather are much older—both are first recorded before 1000. Even though the word God is usually capitalized in the context of Christianity, it’s spelled lowercase in some general terms, such as godliness.

In some Christian denominations, people officially become godparents to their godchild at the child’s baptism by making specific pledges to assist with their religious upbringing. Some parents, though, choose godparents for their child simply by asking them to have a special presence in their godchild’s life (and often to act as the child’s guardians if something should happen to them). This may or may not involve a religious aspect.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with godparent?Ìý

Ìý

What are some words that often get used in discussing godparent?

Ìý

How isÌýgodparent used in real life?

The word godparent is especially associated with the relationship that’s made official during the Christian ceremony of baptism, but it’s also used in nonreligious contexts.Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Ìý

Try usingÌýgodparent!

Is godparent used correctly in the following sentence?

I try to be a good godparent by always sending my goddaughter something for her birthday.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement