father of the nation

Country's founding figure

A father of the nation is a man widely credited with founding or liberating a country, often the leader of an independence movement: George Washington is considered the father of the nation.

The title carries reverence and suggests the country owes its existence to this figure.

Most nations have one, though the designation may be contested or shared.

Related

patriarch · George Washington · statesman · Nelson Mandela · Simon Bolivar · Sun Yat-sen · Mahatma Gandhi · leader · hero · visionary · icon · sovereignty · self-determination · revolutionary hero · independence · progenitor · mentor · anti-colonialism

Opposites
foundational role

father of the nationenemy of the people

Alleged societal threat

quisling · balkanizer · puppet ruler · collaborator · tyrant

symbolic moral status

father of the nationenemy of the people

Alleged societal threat

tyrant · oppressor

unifying vs. dividing

father of the nationsecessionist

One seeking independence

Family

father, fathers, fatherly, fatherhood, paternal, paternity, patrician, nation, nations

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G