An older man who is respected for his paternal qualities and may be an emotional substitute for a father: his life was anchored by the rock-like presence of a reassuring father figure
More example sentences
- If you do not have a father, a common substitute is a father figure or even your brother would make a very nice gesture.
- The instructor had been an older man and someone that Carl had seen as a father figure, a substitute to fill part of a missing piece of his life.
- Personally I didn't respect him as a father figure, but lots of kids did.
Definition of father figure in:
- The US English dictionary