noun
Usage
What does godchild mean? A godchild is a person who has one or more godparents—people who have pledged to help with their upbringing, especially in a religious way. In some denominations of Christianity, when a child is baptized, they are sponsored by (usually two) adults who pledge to help in this way. Those adults are the child’s godparents, and the child is their godchild. Godchildren are often related to their godparents (a boy might be his aunt’s godson, for example), but they don’t need to be. Godparents also often pledge to become the godchild’s guardian if needed (in the event that the child’s parents die). These terms are all sometimes applied outside of a religious context—parents may choose close relatives or friends to act as godparents for their children without any religious aspect to the relationship. A godparent can still refer to their godchild with that term even after the child becomes an adult. Example: Some people are godparents in name only, but Kelly and Chris spend as much time as they can with their godchild.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of godchild
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at god, child
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Considering himself an "outlaw" Christian, Price's 2007 book, "Letter to a Godchild," was a christening gift to his godson, intended as a brief guide for the child's spiritual future.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 21, 2011
Fairy Godchild," answered Eloise, "you shall have one.
From Flower of the Dusk by Reed, Myrtle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
