foster

¹

[ faw-ster, fos-ter ]

verb (used with object)

1. to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage:

   to foster new ideas.

   Synonyms: instigate, foment, advance, forward, favor

   Antonyms: discourage

2. to care for a foster child or a pet as a temporary guardian:

   The couple fostered two boys until they could be reunited with their birth parents.

   Have you ever fostered a kitten that you just couldn’t part from afterwards?

   Synonyms: maintain, support, sustain, nourish, nurse

3. to care for or cherish.
4. British. to place (a child) in a foster home.
5. Obsolete. to feed or nourish.

Foster

²

[ faw-ster, fos-ter ]

noun

1. Stephen (Collins), 1826–64, U.S. songwriter.
2. William Z(eb·u·lon) [zeb, -y, uh, -l, uh, n], 1881–1961, U.S. labor organizer: leader in the Communist Party.
3. a male given name.

foster

¹

/ ˈfɒstə /

verb

1. to promote the growth or development of
2. to bring up (a child, etc); rear
3. to cherish (a plan, hope, etc) in one's mind
4. 1. to place (a child) in the care of foster parents
   2. to bring up under fosterage

adjective

1. in combination indicating relationship through fostering and not through birth

   foster mother

   foster child

2. in combination of or involved in the rearing of a child by persons other than his natural or adopted parents

   foster home

Foster

²

/ ˈfɒstə /

noun

1. FosterJodie1962FUSFILMS AND TV: actressFILMS AND TV: director Jodie . born 1962, US film actress and director: her films include Taxi Driver (1976), The Accused (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1990), Little Man Tate (1991; also directed), Nell (1995), and Panic Room (2002)
2. FosterNorman1935MBritishARCHITECTURE: architect Norman , Baron. born 1935, British architect. His works include the Willis Faber building (1978) in Ipswich, Stansted Airport, Essex (1991), Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong (1998), the renovation of the Reichstag, Berlin (1999), and City Hall, London (2002)
3. FosterStephen Collins18261864MUSMUSIC: composer Stephen Collins . 1826–64, US composer of songs such as The Old Folks at Home and Oh Susanna

Derived Forms

• ˈfostering, noun
• ˈfosterer, noun

Other Words From

• fos·ter·er noun
• fos·ter·ing·ly adverb
• un·fos·ter·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foster¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fōstor “nourishment,” fōstrian “to nourish”; cognate with Old Norse fōstr; akin to food

Word History and Origins

Origin of foster¹

Old English fōstrian to feed, from fōstor food

Synonym Study

See cherish.

Example Sentences

“Overall, Jamie thinks a shift back to the office will be good for the young employees and to foster creative ideas,” Kleinhanzl wrote.

From Fortune

“We are open to everyone and are intentionally trying to foster a diverse community and actively invite people from all walks of life to participate, particularly people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community,” O’Donnell says.

From Outside Online

It’s hard to continue to foster a sense of community when we’re all at home for the most part.

From Washington Blade

Target executives pointed to big gains in categories such as food, electronics, and home goods, items that typically foster in-store visits.

From Fortune

Rhonda Oliver, a parent who has five foster and adopted children enrolled in Oceanside Unified, said it’s going to be nearly impossible for her family to continue distance learning in the fall.

From Voice of San Diego

Critics accused Foster of giving Duke a payoff to stay out of the race; that was never proven.

From The Daily Beast

A grand jury investigated but found Foster had broken no law.

From The Daily Beast

At any rate, policy can enforce equal rights and foster equal opportunity.

From The Daily Beast

A few weeks later, Valentino and her pal, an aspiring actress named Meg Foster, met Cosby again at Café Figaro.

From The Daily Beast

Then, she says she observed Cosby “sitting in a love seat near Foster and she noticed that he had an erection.”

From The Daily Beast

The foster-father, who was an American resident in Hong-Kong, found his eyesight gradually failing him.

From Project Gutenberg

The foster-child remained behind to share the hut of the political exile.

From Project Gutenberg

Major Foster hastily collected sixty men and charged on the guns—so shamelessly abandoned by the order of a drunken commander.

From Project Gutenberg

The new day had hardly begun when the guerrilla hordes poured down on Foster's little army, confident of an easy victory.

From Project Gutenberg

To this the guerrillas agreed, and their surprise can be imagined when they found themselves in Foster's camp instead of Coffee's.

From Project Gutenberg