PARENTHOOD

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

The state of being a parent

Example:

to everyone's surprise, parenthood reformed the man

Synonyms:

parentage; parenthood

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("parenthood" is a kind of...):

adulthood (the state (and responsibilities) of a person who has attained maturity)

Derivation:

parent (a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian)