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fatherlessness

fatherlessness

6.0
A man who does not have any children, often by choice
  • noun
  • /ˈfɑːðərləsnəs/
translation icon : paternidad ausente
  • His fatherlessness was a result of his decision not to start a family.

Examples

  • Some men embrace fatherlessness as a personal or lifestyle choice.

  • The rise in fatherlessness is often discussed in relation to changing societal norms around family.

  • The topic of fatherlessness is sometimes discussed in conversations about changing family structures.

  • The issue of fatherlessness affects many children in our society.

  • Many studies have shown the impact of fatherlessness on youth behavior.

  • His fatherlessness led him to question the importance of having a father figure in his life.

  • Many people believe that fatherlessness can have significant effects on children's emotional development.

Synonyms

childlessness
vsfatherlessness
1 5.2

A situation where a person or couple has no children

refers specifically to a man being without children

Antonyms

66 5.8

The state of being a child's father

30 2.7

Being a father and caring for your children

Surface Forms

Morphology

fatherlessness = fatherless (transparent) = father + less + ness

Built directly from the adjective 'fatherless' with the nominalizing suffix '-ness' to indicate the state or quality of being without a father.

Etymology

Fatherlessness is built from father, plus -less meaning 'without' and -ness meaning 'the state of'. So it describes the state of a man 'without' children or not being a father, which is why fatherlessness can mean not having started a family.