godfather

CEFRC1

/ˈɡɑdfɑðɚ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A man who promises to support a child in a religious ceremony.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A mafia leader.

Examples

  • He stood godfather to my first son.

  • My godfather gave me a watch as a gift.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Someone who plays a key role in fostering the development of something.

  2. A man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a male godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.

  3. A small post which is used in repairing a fence. For instance attached to and supporting an existing broken fence post.

More examples

In context

  • My godfather gave me that red shirt.

  • “They are trying to kill the messenger with the bad news, it’s crazy,” said Dr James Hansen, known as the godfather of climate science and previously director of Giss for more than 30 years.

  • The man often touted as the godfather of AI has quit Google, citing concerns over the flood of misinformation, the possibility for AI to upend the job market, and the “existential risk” posed by the creation of a true digital intelligence.

Synonyms

Quick test

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In the crime organization, he was the powerful blank who gave orders.

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Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English godfader, from Old English godfæder (“godfather”), equivalent to god- + father. Cognate with Old Saxon godfadar (“godfather”), Middle Dutch godvader (“godfather”), Danish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Swedish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Icelandic guðfaðir (“godfather”).