a term of relation denoting a person who has begotten a child. By the laws of Romulus, a father had an unlimited power over his children. Amongst the Macedonians, as we learn from Aristotle's Politics, the father of three children was excused from the duty of mounting guard for the security of the city; and the father of four children was exempted from every public burden. The Poppean law, amongst the Romans, granted many valuable privileges to the father of three children, one of which was, that he should be excused from civil offices, and that the mother should have liberty, in her father's lifetime, to make a will, and manage her estate without the authority of tutors.

Natural Father is he who has illegitimate children.

Adoptive Father is he who takes the children of some other person, and acknowledges them as his own.

Putative Father is he who is only the reputed or supposed father.

Father is also used in theology to signify the first person in the Trinity.

Ecclesiastical History, is applied to ancient authors who have preserved in their writings the traditions of the church. Thus St Chrysostom, St Basil, and others, are called Greek Fathers; St Augustin and St Ambrose, Latin Fathers. No author who wrote later than the twelfth century is dignified with the title of Father.

Father is also a title of honour given to prelates and dignitaries of the church, to the superiors of convents, to congregations of ecclesiastics, and to persons venerable for their age or quality. Thus we say, the right reverend father in God, the father general of the Benedictines, the fathers of the council of Nice, the father of his country, and so in many other cases.