Fatherships

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of being a father; the responsibilities and roles associated with fatherhood; the condition or experience of serving as a paternal figure
2. The status or condition of being a male parent; the duties and influence exercised by a father; the relationship and identity tied to fathering a child
3. The position held as a father in relation to one’s offspring; the obligations and social roles connected to fatherhood; the sense of paternal responsibility and care

Etymology: "Fatherships" is simply the plural of "fathership", a noun built from "father" and the suffix "-ship", which attaches to a base to name a state, condition or office, as in "friendship" or "kingship". The base is the Old English "fæder", and the compound appeared in Middle English as "fadership", so the coinage is an old one that English speakers have been assembling from familiar parts for centuries. The plural form is used when the states or roles of several fathers, or several distinct ways of being a father, are being compared, so the word means something like the various conditions of fatherhood taken one at a time.

Synonyms: paternity, fatherhood, guardianships, parenthood, caretaking

Antonyms: motherhood, childlessness