founding father
noun
1
: an originator of an institution or movement : founder
2
often Founding Father
: a leading figure in the founding of the U.S.
specifically
: a member of the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
Examples of founding father in a Sentence
a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers
Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism.
Recent Examples on the Web
The anti-tea sentiment was immortalized in a founding father's now-famous letter.
—
James Doubek,
NPR,
3 July 2026
This country continues to be the greatest experiment in the history of the world because of all of you who believe in what those founding fathers wrote up 250 years ago.
—
Joe Kinsey Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
As the parade stopped to lay a wreath at the Granary Burying Ground where founding fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams are buried, a man placed a small stone on the memorial, a Jewish tradition of remembrance.
—
Catherine Simpson Bueker,
The Conversation,
1 July 2026
One of America's founding fathers is getting some recognition on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, right alongside the building that used to bear his name.
—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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James Doubek,
NPR,
3 July 2026
This country continues to be the greatest experiment in the history of the world because of all of you who believe in what those founding fathers wrote up 250 years ago.
—
Joe Kinsey Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
As the parade stopped to lay a wreath at the Granary Burying Ground where founding fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams are buried, a man placed a small stone on the memorial, a Jewish tradition of remembrance.
—
Catherine Simpson Bueker,
The Conversation,
1 July 2026
One of America's founding fathers is getting some recognition on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, right alongside the building that used to bear his name.
—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/founding%20father. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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