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single parent

1 American  

noun

  1. a parent or guardian who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.

    Being a single parent isn’t easy.
single-parent 2 American  
[sing-guhl-pair-uhnt, ‐-par-uhnt] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˈpɛər ənt, ‐ˈpær ənt /

adjective

  1. of or noting a family in which a parent brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: a single-parent household.

    a single-parent family;

    a single-parent household.
single parent British  

noun

  1. Also called (NZ): solo parent. 

    1. a person who has a dependent child or dependent children and who is widowed, divorced, or unmarried

    2. ( as modifier )

      a single-parent family
"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

Etymology

Origin of single parent1

First recorded in 1850–60

Origin of single-parent2

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.

She draws inspiration from her mother, a Philadelphia-area lawyer who raised Kutler as a single parent and successfully battled the disease in her 60s.

From Los Angeles Times

As a single parent living with her father, stepmother and brother, she said "you want to create security, but when your wages are unpredictable, everything feels uncertain".

From BBC

Indeed, part of the problem is access: In many countries, it’s challenging to pursue surrogacy as an intended single parent.

From Slate

And also, as a single parent, you know we got to budget.

From Los Angeles Times

"I couldn't turn my phone off as I'm a single parent and a carer for my dad," she said.

From BBC

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.