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View synonyms for foster

foster

1

[ faw-ster, fos-ter ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage:

    to foster new ideas.

    Synonyms: instigate, foment, advance, forward, favor

    Antonyms: discourage

  2. to care for a foster child or a pet as a temporary guardian:

    The couple fostered two boys until they could be reunited with their birth parents.

    Have you ever fostered a kitten that you just couldn’t part from afterwards?

    Synonyms: maintain, support, sustain, nourish, nurse

  3. to care for or cherish.
  4. British. to place (a child) in a foster home.
  5. Obsolete. to feed or nourish.


Foster

2

[ faw-ster, fos-ter ]

noun

  1. Stephen (Collins), 1826–64, U.S. songwriter.
  2. William Z(eb·u·lon) [zeb, -y, uh, -l, uh, n], 1881–1961, U.S. labor organizer: leader in the Communist Party.
  3. a male given name.

foster

1

/ ˈfɒstə /

verb

  1. to promote the growth or development of
  2. to bring up (a child, etc); rear
  3. to cherish (a plan, hope, etc) in one's mind
    1. to place (a child) in the care of foster parents
    2. to bring up under fosterage


adjective

  1. in combination indicating relationship through fostering and not through birth

    foster child

    foster mother

  2. in combination of or involved in the rearing of a child by persons other than his natural or adopted parents

    foster home

Foster

2

/ ˈfɒstə /

noun

  1. FosterJodie1962FUSFILMS AND TV: actressFILMS AND TV: director Jodie . born 1962, US film actress and director: her films include Taxi Driver (1976), The Accused (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1990), Little Man Tate (1991; also directed), Nell (1995), and Panic Room (2002)
  2. FosterNorman1935MBritishARCHITECTURE: architect Norman , Baron. born 1935, British architect. His works include the Willis Faber building (1978) in Ipswich, Stansted Airport, Essex (1991), Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong (1998), the renovation of the Reichstag, Berlin (1999), and City Hall, London (2002)
  3. FosterStephen Collins18261864MUSMUSIC: composer Stephen Collins . 1826–64, US composer of songs such as The Old Folks at Home and Oh Susanna

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Derived Forms

  • ˈfosterer, noun
  • ˈfostering, noun

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Other Words From

  • fos·ter·er noun
  • fos·ter·ing·ly adverb
  • un·fos·ter·ing adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of foster1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English fōstor “nourishment,” fōstrian “to nourish”; cognate with Old Norse fōstr; akin to food

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Word History and Origins

Origin of foster1

Old English fōstrian to feed, from fōstor food

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Synonym Study

See cherish.

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Example Sentences

“Overall, Jamie thinks a shift back to the office will be good for the young employees and to foster creative ideas,” Kleinhanzl wrote.

From Fortune

“We are open to everyone and are intentionally trying to foster a diverse community and actively invite people from all walks of life to participate, particularly people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community,” O’Donnell says.

It’s hard to continue to foster a sense of community when we’re all at home for the most part.

Target executives pointed to big gains in categories such as food, electronics, and home goods, items that typically foster in-store visits.

From Fortune

Rhonda Oliver, a parent who has five foster and adopted children enrolled in Oceanside Unified, said it’s going to be nearly impossible for her family to continue distance learning in the fall.

Critics accused Foster of giving Duke a payoff to stay out of the race; that was never proven.

A grand jury investigated but found Foster had broken no law.

At any rate, policy can enforce equal rights and foster equal opportunity.

A few weeks later, Valentino and her pal, an aspiring actress named Meg Foster, met Cosby again at Café Figaro.

Then, she says she observed Cosby “sitting in a love seat near Foster and she noticed that he had an erection.”

The foster-father, who was an American resident in Hong-Kong, found his eyesight gradually failing him.

The foster-child remained behind to share the hut of the political exile.

Major Foster hastily collected sixty men and charged on the guns—so shamelessly abandoned by the order of a drunken commander.

The new day had hardly begun when the guerrilla hordes poured down on Foster's little army, confident of an easy victory.

To this the guerrillas agreed, and their surprise can be imagined when they found themselves in Foster's camp instead of Coffee's.

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