godmother

noun

god·​moth·​er ˈgäd-ˌmə-t͟hər How to pronounce godmother (audio)
: a woman who sponsors a person at baptism

Examples of godmother in a Sentence

Her aunt is also her godmother.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My godmother and my auntie studied ballet at private schools. — Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026 Leo is a former academic now working for her godmother, a local real estate mogul. — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026 The child's godmother spoke exclusively with CBS News New York. — Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 May 2026 The couple has two sons together, with Jessica Alba and Taylor Swift serving as the boys' godmothers. — Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for godmother

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of godmother was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing godmother

Rhymes for godmother

See All Rhymes for godmother

Browse Nearby Words

God-manhood
godmother
Godolphin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Godmother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/godmother. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

godmother

noun
god·​moth·​er ˈgäd-ˌmət͟h-ər How to pronounce godmother (audio)
also ˈgȯd-
: a female sponsor at baptism

More from Merriam-Webster on godmother

Nglish: Translation of godmother for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about godmother

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All