son

1 of 2

noun

ˈsən How to pronounce son (audio)
Synonyms of sonnext
1
a
: a human male offspring especially of human beings
b
: a male adopted child
c
: a human male descendant
2
Son : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a person closely associated with or deriving from a formative agent (such as a nation, school, or race)
sonhood
ˈsən-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce son (audio)
noun

son-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or sono-
: sound
sonic
sonogram

Examples of son in a Sentence

Noun She gave birth to a son. They have two sons and a daughter. He is the son of a lawyer and a doctor. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
His eldest son Théo Saujet worked on the scent Les Caves, inspired by the iconic Saint-Tropez night club Les Caves du Roy, which Thomas Saujet believes will be the most multigenerational of all the fragrances. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Stitt, who grew up in Cullman, an hour north, the son of a country doctor, reminisces about traveling to eat with his parents—to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 At school one day, their son, Cheol, has a premonition that something has happened to his mother. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Matthews lined up as an eligible receiver on second down from the Baltimore 5-yard line in the third quarter. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for son

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sone, from Old English sunu; akin to Old High German sun son, Greek hyios

Combining form

Latin sonus sound

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of son was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing son

Rhymes for son

See All Rhymes for son

Browse Nearby Words

-somus
son
son-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Son.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/son. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

son

noun
ˈsən How to pronounce son (audio)
1
a
: a male offspring especially of human parents
b
: a human male descendant
2
capitalized : the second person of the Trinity
3
: a man or boy closely associated with or thought of as a child of something (as a country, race, or religion)

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