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Glite Dictionary
female parent

female parent

1 1.0
A woman who has a child and cares for them
  • noun
  • /ˈfiːmeɪl ˈpɛrənt/
translation icon : madre
  • According to the NGLTF, approximately 30 percent of all lesbian and bisexual female parents have been threatened with a loss of custody.
  • male and female parent

I don't see anything wrong with saying that the best thing for a child is a loving male and female or loving male and female parents.

Examples

  • Many female parents struggle to balance work and childcare responsibilities.

  • Approximately an equal number of male and female parents attended.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Based on results of parents' gender, 50% of the sample was male parents and the other 50% were female parents.

    Academic text (2008)

  • There were 20 male and 16 female parent fan participants, ranging in age from 30 to 50 years.

    Academic text (2004)

  • And each man is a strong believer in the importance of a male and female parent in the home.

    Blog text (21)

  • Mother: a female parent.

    Bruno (2000)

  • She became a female parent after adopting a baby from the foster care system.

  • Being a female parent often means facing unique challenges in raising children.

Synonyms

mother
vsfemale parent
∞ 1.0

A woman who has given birth to a child

is the more general descriptive term rather than a common form of address
mom
vsfemale parent
  • Informal
∞ 1.0

A woman who has a child and cares for them

is a more formal general descriptive term rather than an informal familiar name
mommy
vsfemale parent
  • Baby Talk
∞ 1.0

A child's word for mom

is the neutral descriptive term used without childlike or affectionate language
mum
vsfemale parent
  • UK
223 1.9

A woman who gave you birth or cared for you

is the general descriptive term used across regions rather than a local informal form
mamma
vsfemale parent
  • Baby Talk
32 7.5

A woman who cares for a child and helps them grow

is the general descriptive term rather than a culturally specific childish name
ama
vsfemale parent
24 9.8

A woman who is a mother or cares for children

is the general English descriptive term not tied to specific cultures

Antonyms

father
∞ 1.0

A man who has a child

Surface Forms

female parent singular
female parents plural

Morphology

female + parent

The meaning 'mother' is directly and compositionally derived from 'female' (of the sex that bears offspring) + 'parent' (a person who raises a child). This is a literal, cross-linguistically common construction (e.g. Spanish 'padre/madre' constructions, French 'parent(e) féminin') and a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Female parent is a very literal phrase: female means a woman and parent means someone who raises a child. So people use female parent in careful or official speech instead of 'mother', and it simply means 'mother'.