single parent: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
HighNeutral to formal; common in everyday, academic, and policy discourse.
Quick answer
What does “single parent” mean?
A person who raises a child or children without a partner, typically due to separation, divorce, death, or never having been married.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who raises a child or children without a partner, typically due to separation, divorce, death, or never having been married.
Can refer to someone who is the sole caregiver for a child, regardless of marital status; sometimes used in legal and social policy contexts to denote households headed by one adult responsible for children.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically. 'Lone parent' is a common synonym in UK official and social policy contexts, while US usage strongly prefers 'single parent'.
Connotations
Neutral in both, though can carry subtle social/political connotations depending on context (e.g., debates about welfare, family values).
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English according to corpus data, but very common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “single parent” in a Sentence
[be/become] a single parentraise [children] as a single parentsupport [for] single parentsVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “single parent” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She had to single-parent for several years after her husband worked abroad.
- More people are single-parenting due to changing social norms.
American English
- He's been single-parenting since the divorce.
- The article discusses the challenges of single-parenting in urban areas.
adverb
British English
- She parented single-handedly for a decade.
- He managed the household single-parentedly after his wife's death.
American English
- She raised them single-parentedly while working full-time.
- Living single-parentedly requires careful budgeting.
adjective
British English
- She heads a single-parent household.
- The charity offers grants to single-parent families.
American English
- He grew up in a single-parent home.
- Single-parent families may qualify for additional assistance.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In HR contexts discussing parental leave policies or employee support programmes.
Academic
In sociology, demography, or social policy research on family structures.
Everyday
Discussing one's own or others' family situations.
Technical
In legal documents, census classifications, or social welfare eligibility criteria.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “single parent”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “single parent”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “single parent”
- Using 'single parent' as an adjective without a hyphen in compound modifiers (e.g., 'single parent family' should be 'single-parent family').
- Confusing with 'only child' or 'single child'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it applies to anyone raising a child without a partner, including never-married individuals, widows/widowers, and those who choose solo parenthood.
Typically no, if they have a cohabiting partner who shares parenting. The term implies sole responsibility. However, if one partner is completely absent/uninvolved, some might use it colloquially.
'Single mother/father' specifies gender. 'Single parent' is gender-neutral and often preferred in formal/policy contexts.
Yes, though somewhat informal. It's accepted in everyday language and journalism (e.g., 'She's been single-parenting for years').
A person who raises a child or children without a partner, typically due to separation, divorce, death, or never having been married.
Single parent is usually neutral to formal; common in everyday, academic, and policy discourse. in register.
Single parent: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɪŋɡl ˈpeərənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɪŋɡl ˈperənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Wearing both hats”
- “Doing it all alone”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SINGLE = one, PARENT = caregiver. One person handling the parenting role.
Conceptual Metaphor
PARENTING IS A JOURNEY (undertaken alone); FAMILY IS A STRUCTURE (with one pillar).
Practice
Quiz
Which term is commonly used in British official contexts as a synonym for 'single parent'?