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Glite Dictionary
👩‍🍼 A baptism sponsor 🌟 A female mentor
godmother

godmother

32 3.3
A woman chosen at a child's baptism to help raise them and teach about faith
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɑːdˌmʌðər/
translation icon : madrina
  • She was proud to be selected as the godmother for her friend's child.
  • a fairy godmother
  • a godfather or godmother

So this is not only his grandmother's best friend, it is his own godmother.

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Examples

  • My godmother recently organized a special celebration for my birthday.

  • I'm Mrs. Doyle's godmother.

    Death on the Nile (2022)

  • - Can we thank your godmother for coming?

    Band Aid (2017)

  • "I mean, you were old enough to have some say about who your godmother should be.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • We want you to be the godmother.

    Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)

  • We're supposed to be godmothers to her baby.

    Spice World (1997)

  • You must meet my godmother, Anne de Larmessin.

    The Goldfinch (2019)

  • I was a complete orphan, poor, given over into the hands of my godmother.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I just was with my godmother, who is the oldest of my mom's friends, who is truly my spiritual mother.

    Rich Roll

  • I shall be her godmother, and you shall call her Betsey Trotwood Copperfield.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

godparent
vsgodmother
11 2.9

A person who promises at a child's baptism to help their religious faith and support them

is the female form of that sponsor role

Compounds

fairy godmother
  • Literature
4 3.8

A woman in fairy tales who uses magic to help someone

fairy godmother
2 4.6

A woman who gives money or help when someone needs it

horse-godmother
9.9

A person at the stables who helps and teaches horse riders

Surface Forms

godmother singular
godmothers plural

Morphology

godmother = god + mother (semi-transparent) = god + mother

The components 'god' and 'mother' are clear, but the specific meaning of a sponsor at a baptism is a specialized cultural role.

Etymology

Godmother is made from god + mother, and it began as the woman chosen at a child's baptism to be a 'sponsor' and a kind of spiritual 'mother'. So a godmother's role is to help guide the child's religious and moral life.