# son

/ˈsən/ (US) · /sˈʌn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/son
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. male offspring

noun · CEFR A1

a person's male child.

For teachers: a male offspring in relation to his parents, whether biological or adopted.

- They have two children: a son and a daughter.
- The king was desperate for a son to inherit the throne and ensure the continuity of the royal lineage.

### 2. term of address

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a friendly way for an older person to speak to a younger man.

For teachers: a familiar or patronising form of address to a male, typically from an older or more authoritative person.

- Don't worry about the mistake, son; we all learn from experience.
- The old mechanic leaned over the engine and said, 'Listen closely, son, because I am only going to show you this trick once.'

### 3. product of a place

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a man who comes from a particular place or was shaped by it.

For teachers: a male person regarded as the product or representative of a specific country, region, or social movement.

- He was a famous son of the city who never forgot his roots.
- The monument was dedicated to the fallen sons of the soil who had defended the valley during the border conflicts of the nineteenth century.

### 4. Cuban music

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a style of music and dance from Cuba.

For teachers: A genre of music and dance that originated in Cuba, combining Spanish guitar and African percussion elements.

- The band played a traditional son that got everyone dancing.
- The evolution of salsa owes a significant debt to the rhythmic structures of Afro-Cuban son developed in the late nineteenth century.

### 5. computing file

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a new version of a computer file made from an older one.

For teachers: The current version of a file or data set, derived from a preceding 'father' file in a generational backup system.

- The system automatically creates a son file every time you save your work.
- In the grandfather-father-son backup rotation, the son represents the most recent incremental daily backup.

### 6. to address as son

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal

to call a younger man 'son' when talking to him.

For teachers: To address a male person using the term 'son', often to assert authority or show affection.

- He didn't like it when the older boss started sonning him in front of clients.
- The veteran officer tended to son the new recruits, a habit that some found comforting and others found condescending.

## Examples

- My son starts school next week.
- They are very proud of their son for graduating from university with honors.
- The inheritance was divided equally between the eldest son and his two sisters, ensuring the family estate remained intact for the next generation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.