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
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
To create the interactive element, Knight has added the character of George Washington to the show, which also features founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Mason.
—
Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2024
Vivek Ramaswamy compares Trump's criminal charges to hurdles faced by the founding fathers
Former Republican presidential candidate and longshot Trump running mate contender Vivek Ramaswamy sought to compare Trump to the first president of the United States as a prelude to Trump's speech in Racine.
—Rachel Hale, Journal Sentinel, 18 June 2024
The founding fathers created this system as a compromise between the popular vote, directly among citizens, and a congressional vote.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
To this day, no Turkish citizen is allowed to bear the last name of the country’s founding father.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for founding father 
Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2024
Vivek Ramaswamy compares Trump's criminal charges to hurdles faced by the founding fathers
Former Republican presidential candidate and longshot Trump running mate contender Vivek Ramaswamy sought to compare Trump to the first president of the United States as a prelude to Trump's speech in Racine.
—Rachel Hale, Journal Sentinel, 18 June 2024
The founding fathers created this system as a compromise between the popular vote, directly among citizens, and a congressional vote.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024
To this day, no Turkish citizen is allowed to bear the last name of the country’s founding father.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for founding father
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'founding father.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near founding father
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/founding%20father. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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