Son Meaning
/sʌn/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne's male offspring.
nounA male adopted person in relation to his adoptive parents.
Sentence Examples
Like father, like son.
You need not have helped my son with his homework.
The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.
CEFR Practice Quiz
My ____ graduated from high school and is going to college soon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was very proud of her ____ when he graduated from medical school with the highest honors.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English sonn, sone, sun, sune, from Old English sunu (“son”), from Proto-West Germanic *sunu, from Proto-Germanic *sunuz (“son”), from Proto-Indo-European *suHnús (“son”), from Proto-Indo-European *sewH- (“to bear; give birth”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From what conſummate vertue I have choſe / This perfect Man, by merit call'd my Son,"
— 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 10, lines 165-166:
"“We are pleased that LSST has now been named the Vera C. Rubin Observatory,” said Rubin’s sons Allan Rubin, David Rubin, and Karl Rubin in a statement."
— 2020 January 7, Ashley Strickland, “First US observatory named in honor of a female astronomer, Vera Rubin”, in CNN:
"Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son has earned his first call-up for the Portugal Under-15 national squad, the team announced on Tuesday."
— 2025 May 7, Ben Morse, “‘Proud of you’: Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son earns first call-up for Portugal Under-15 national team”, in CNN:
"Eli called Samuel his son. Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift."
— 1832, Noah Webster, “SON”, in A Dictionary of the English Language Intended to Exhibit the Origin of Words, the Orthography and Definitions: in Two Volumes · Volume 2:
"I hold it to be true, that the people are the sons of the soil; and we are only their instruments here."
— 1850, Oliver P. Badger, convention member from Putnam, Indiana, Report of the Debates and Proceedings of the Convention for the Revision of the Constitution of the State of Indiana, 1850 Volume 1, page 827:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
My ____ graduated from high school and is going to college soon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was very proud of her ____ when he graduated from medical school with the highest honors.