single mother

American

Informal, single mom

noun

a mother who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.

Etymology

Origin of single mother

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A black child among mostly Puerto Rican neighbors in public housing in Bethlehem, Pa., young Oliver was raised by his single mother.

From The Wall Street Journal

His single mother is a saint who raised him and his sister despite financial and emotional hardships.

From Slate

She said the cameras kept rolling behind-the-scenes, combining her day-to-day work as a surgeon with her home life as a single mother to a teenager.

From BBC

This year, that award went to "High Potential," a show starring Kaitlin Olson as a high-IQ single mother who helps the Los Angeles Police Department solve crimes.

From Barron's

“I’m asking as a friend, a sister, an aunt and, most importantly, a single mother to an incredible and brave daughter. I am in need of a kidney.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023