godfather
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a man who promises at a Christian baptism to help look after a child and support their religious life.
n.a male godparent who sponsors a child's baptism and assumes a symbolic responsibility for their spiritual upbringing.
Simple“He asked his best friend to be the godfather to his newborn son.”
In context“The role of a godfather traditionally involves a lifelong commitment to the child's moral and spiritual development within the church community.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the powerful leader of a criminal organization, especially the Mafia.
n.the head of a family or syndicate within an organized crime network, particularly the Sicilian Mafia.
Simple“In the movie, the godfather controls all the illegal business in the city.”
In context“Federal investigators spent years attempting to link the elusive godfather to the syndicate's money-laundering operations.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a man who is very important in starting or developing a new idea, style, or movement.
n.a person who plays a seminal or foundational role in the creation and development of a specific field or movement.
Simple“He is often called the godfather of soul music because of his influence.”
In context“Many critics regard the late director as the godfather of modern independent cinema for his pioneering use of handheld cameras.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to act as a godfather to a child or to support a project like a guardian.
v.to serve as a godfather or to provide protective sponsorship and guidance to a person or initiative.
Simple“He agreed to godfather the new arts program until it found permanent funding.”
In context“The senior partner offered to godfather the associate's career, providing the necessary political cover within the firm's hierarchy.”
“Twana Jamal Khdir, an Iraqi national who was once described as "the godfather" of the French migrant camps, previously served a sentence for people smuggling in France.”
“David had been my husband’s best friend since primary school, and my friend since university, and is now our daughter’s godfather.”
From Middle English godfader, from Old English godfæder (“godfather”), equivalent to god- + father. Cognate with Old Saxon godfadar (“godfather”), Middle Dutch godvader (“godfather”), Danish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Swedish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Icelandic guðfaðir (“godfather”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.