son
1 Americannoun
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a male child or person in relation to his parents.
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a male child or person adopted as a son; a person in the legal position of a son.
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any male descendant.
a son of the Aztecs.
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a son-in-law.
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a person related as if by ties of sonship.
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a male person looked upon as the product or result of particular agencies, forces, influences, etc..
a true son of the soil.
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a familiar term of address to a man or boy from an older person, an ecclesiastic, etc.
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the Son, the second person of the Trinity; Jesus Christ.
noun
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a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents
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a male descendant
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(often capital) a familiar term of address for a boy or man
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a male from a certain country, place, etc, or one closely connected with a certain environment
a son of the circus
a son of the manse
noun
Other Word Forms
- sonless adjective
- sonlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of son
before 900; Middle English sone, Old English sunu; cognate with Dutch zoon, German Sohn, Old Norse sunr, sonr, Gothic sunus, Lithuanian sūnùs, Sanskrit sūnus; akin to Greek huiós
Explanation
Anyone can call a boy son, but technically, your son has to be your male child. If you're male, you are your parents' son. Well done, son! You can use the noun son for non-human animals too: "Our cat had six kittens, five daughters and one son." But it's far more likely that you'll describe human offspring as sons or daughters. Family names (or surnames) in many cultures include son or son of, like "Jefferson" or "Wilson," originally "son of Jeffrey" and "son of William."
Vocabulary lists containing son
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.
The death of Franklin’s young son, Frances, from smallpox was a prime factor in his ardent support of inoculation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Billy was a "charming, adorable man", Marie-Thérèse's son said, and the couple were in love "like teenagers".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
The pontiff has previously referred to himself as a "son" of the saint, and belongs to the Augustinian order.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Raúl Castro is also leaning on his only son, Alejandro Castro Espín, a general in the interior ministry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Not boy, not son, not member of the Wolf Clan – or not only those things.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
