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Synonyms

papa

American  
[pah-puh, puh-pah] / ˈpɑ pə, pəˈpɑ /

noun

  1. father.

  2. Papa, a code word used in communications, especially by radio, to represent the letter P.

Papa 1 British  
/ ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

  1. communications a code word for the letter p

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
papa 2 British  
/ pəˈpɑː /

noun

  1. old-fashioned an informal word for father

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
papa 3 British  
/ ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

  1. RC Church another name for the pope 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
papa 4 British  
/ ˈpɑːpa /

noun

  1. rare. a soft blue-grey clay of marine siltstone or sandstone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of papa

First recorded in 1675–85; from French; Middle French pappa (nursery word); compare Latin pāpa “father” ( pope ), Old Norse pāpi, pabbi “father”; pap 1

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.

In June, his twin sons transferred to his alma mater from a Detroit prep school with hopes of making their papa proud and lifting the town’s spirit.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

Hebel characterized Morrison as “very much like a papa bear, a protector” who was very close to Sheina, his only child.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

‘You’ve got to take care of mama bear and papa bear first.’

From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025

Days before his father's release on Thursday, Díaz scored a goal against Luton and lifted his shirt to reveal the words in Spanish "freedom for papa".

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2023

He really wanted to know more about her papa.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

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.