Child vs. Mother — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 27, 2023
A "Child" is a young human, while a "Mother" is a female parent who has given birth to or raised a child. Both relate to familial relationships but represent different roles.
Difference Between Child and Mother
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A child represents a younger generation, usually someone who is not yet matured or is in the developing phase of life. A mother, on the other hand, signifies an older generation, specifically a female who has birthed or taken on the parental role for that child.
The term "child" encompasses all young humans, irrespective of their relationship with their parents. "Mother" is a specific relational term that ties a female adult to her offspring or to a child she raises.
Children are typically dependent, seeking guidance, love, and support, primarily from their parents. Mothers are usually the providers of such care, ensuring the well-being and nurturing of their children.
The bond between a child and a mother is profound, often rooted in biology but also solidified through shared experiences, emotions, and upbringing. While a child grows and learns, a mother guides and protects.
The word "child" can sometimes symbolize innocence, naivety, or youthfulness, even when referring to adults. In contrast, "mother" can symbolize nurture, care, or wisdom and is not just restricted to human contexts, as seen in phrases like "Mother Nature."
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Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
A young human.
A female parent of a child.
Relation
Offspring or younger generation.
Female figure with a nurturing role.
Typical Role
Dependent, learner.
Provider, nurturer.
Symbolizes
Innocence, youthfulness.
Care, protection, wisdom.
Grammatical Usage
Can be singular/plural (child/children).
Singular, with "mothers" as plural.
Compare with Definitions
Child
A young human being below the age of puberty.
The park was filled with children playing.
Mother
A woman in relation to her child or children.
She became a mother at 25.
Child
A person's offspring; a son or daughter.
She is the child of her parents.
Mother
A female animal in relation to its offspring.
The cat is a mother to several kittens.
Child
A person who is strongly influenced by a specified environment.
He's a child of the city.
Mother
A mother is the female parent of a child. Mothers are women who inhabit or perform the role of bearing some relation to their children, who may or may not be their biological offspring.
Child
An immature or naive person.
You're such a child sometimes.
Mother
A woman who gives birth to a child.
Child
A thing regarded as the product of a specified influence or environment.
The book is a child of its time.
Mother
A woman whose egg unites with a sperm, producing an embryo.
Child
Biologically, a child (plural children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority.
Mother
A woman who adopts a child.
Child
A person between birth and puberty.
Mother
A woman who raises a child.
Child
A person who has not attained maturity or the age of legal majority.
Mother
A female parent of an animal.
Child
An unborn infant; a fetus.
Mother
A female ancestor.
Child
An infant; a baby.
Mother
A woman who holds a position of authority or responsibility similar to that of a mother
A den mother.
Child
One who is childish or immature.
Mother
A mother superior.
Child
Someone to whom a specified person is a parent.
Mother
Used as a form of address for such a woman.
Child
A member of a tribe; descendant
Children of Abraham.
Mother
A woman who creates, originates, or founds something
"the discovery of radium, which made Marie Curie mother to the Atomic Age" (Alden Whitman).
Child
An individual regarded as strongly affected by another or by a specified time, place, or circumstance
A child of nature.
A child of the Sixties.
Mother
A creative source; an origin
Philosophy is the mother of the sciences.
Child
A product or result of something specified
“Times Square is a child of the 20th century” (Richard F. Shepard).
Mother
Used as a title for a woman respected for her wisdom and age.
Child
A person who has not yet reached adulthood, whether natural (puberty), cultural (initiation), or legal (majority).
Go easy on him: he is but a child.
Mother
Maternal love and tenderness
Brought out the mother in her.
Child
A kid aged 1 to 11 years, whereas neonates are aged 0 to 1 month, infants are aged 1 month to 12 months, and adolescents are aged 12 years to 18 years.
Regular chores can be appropriate for both children and adolescents, given age-appropriate limits on difficulty level and time on task.
Mother
The biggest or most significant example of its kind
The mother of all battles.
Child
(with possessive) One's direct descendant by birth, regardless of age; one's offspring; a son or daughter.
My youngest child is forty-three this year.
His adult children visit him yearly.
Mother
Vulgar Slang Something considered extraordinary, as in disagreeableness, size, or intensity.
Child
(cartomancy) The thirteenth Lenormand card.
Mother
A stringy slime composed of yeast cells and bacteria that forms on the surface of fermenting liquids and is added to wine or cider to start the production of vinegar.
Child
(figurative) A figurative offspring, particularly:
Mother
Relating to or being a mother.
Child
A person considered a product of a place or culture, a member of a tribe or culture, regardless of age.
The children of Israel.
He is a child of his times.
Mother
Characteristic of a mother
Mother love.
Child
Anything derived from or caused by something.
Mother
Being the source or origin
The mother church.
Child
(computing) A data item, process, or object which has a subservient or derivative role relative to another.
The child node then stores the actual data of the parent node.
Mother
Derived from or as if from one's mother; native
One's mother language.
Child
Youth of noble birth
Mother
To give birth to
Mothered three children.
Child
(mathematics) A subordinate node of a tree.
Mother
To be the source of; create or produce
"Necessity mothered the invention of printing" (Irving Wallace).
Child
A female child, a girl.
Mother
To act as mother to, as in nourishing and protecting.
Child
To give birth; to beget or procreate.
Mother
To act or serve as a mother.
Child
A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of human parents; - in law, legitimate offspring. Used also of animals and plants.
Mother
A female parent, sometimes especially a human; a female who parents a child (which she has given birth to, adopted, or fostered).
I am visiting my mother today.
The lioness was a mother of four cubs.
Child
A descendant, however remote; - used esp. in the plural; as, the children of Israel; the children of Edom.
Mother
A female who has given birth to a baby; this person in relation to her child or children.
My sister-in-law has just become a mother for the first time.
He had something of his mother in him.
Child
One who, by character of practice, shows signs of relationship to, or of the influence of, another; one closely connected with a place, occupation, character, etc.; as, a child of God; a child of the devil; a child of disobedience; a child of toil; a child of the people.
Mother
A pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be; a female who gestates a baby.
Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the mother are conveyed to the fetus.
Child
A noble youth. See Childe.
Mother
A female who donates a fertilized egg or donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone.
Child
A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc.
When I was child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Mother
(figuratively) A female ancestor.
Child
A female infant.
A boy or a child, I wonder?
Mother
(figuratively) A source or origin.
The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.
Child
To give birth; to produce young.
This queen Genissa childing died.
It chanced within two days they childed both.
Mother
Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind. mother of all.}}
Child
A young person of either sex;
She writes books for children
They're just kids
`tiddler' is a British term for youngsters
Mother
A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.
Child
A human offspring (son or daughter) of any age;
They had three children
They were able to send their kids to college
Mother
(dated) A term of address for one's wife.
Child
An immature childish person;
He remained a child in practical matters as long as he lived
Stop being a baby!
Mother
(figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
Child
A member of a clan or tribe;
The children of Israel
Mother
(figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
Mother
Dregs, lees; a stringy, mucilaginous or film- or membrane-like substance consisting of acetobacters which develops in fermenting alcoholic liquids such as wine, or cider, and turns the alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air.
Pieces of mother, adding mother to vinegar
Mother
(railroading) A locomotive which provides electrical power for a slug.
Mother
The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed.
Mother
The female superior or head of a religious house; an abbess, etc.
Mother
(obsolete) Hysterical passion; hysteria; the uterus.
Mother
A disc produced from the electrotyped master, used in manufacturing phonograph records.
Mother
Motherfucker.
Mother
A striking example.
Mother
Alternative form of moth-er
Mother
To give birth to or produce (as its female parent) a child. father]].
Mother
(transitive) To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.
Mother
(transitive) To cause to contain that substance which develops in fermenting alcohol and turns it into vinegar.
Mothered oil, mothered vinegar, mothered wine
Mother
To develop mother.
Mother
A female parent; especially, one of the human race; a woman who has borne a child.
Mother
That which has produced or nurtured anything; source of birth or origin; generatrix.
Alas! poor country! . . . it can notBe called our mother, but our grave.
I behold . . . the solitary majesty of Crete, mother of a religion, it is said, that lived two thousand years.
Mother
An old woman or matron.
Mother
The female superior or head of a religious house, as an abbess, etc.
Mother
Hysterical passion; hysteria.
Mother
A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
Mother
Same as motherfucker.
Mother
A person or thing with some exceptional quality, as great size or power; as, a grizzly stuck his nose in my tent and I grabbed my pistol and shot the mother.
Mother
Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating.
It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
Mother
To adopt as a son or daughter; to perform the duties of a mother to.
The queen, to have put lady Elizabeth besides the crown, would have mothered another body's child.
Mother
To become like, or full of, mother, or thick matter, as vinegar.
Mother
A woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother);
The mother of three children
Mother
A stringy slimy substance consisting of yeast cells and bacteria; forms during fermentation and is added to cider or wine to produce vinegar
Mother
A term of address for an elderly woman
Mother
A condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation;
Necessity is the mother of invention
Mother
Care for like a mother;
She fusses over her husband
Mother
Make children;
Abraham begot Isaac
Men often father children but don't recognize them
Mother
The origin or source of something.
The Nile is the mother of all rivers in Egypt.
Mother
A term of address for an elderly woman.
How can I help you, mother?
Mother
To give birth to or produce.
She mothered four children by the age of 30.
Common Curiosities
What does it mean when someone is called a "Mother figure"?
It means the person provides guidance, love, and support, similar to a biological mother.
Can "child" refer to adult offspring?
Yes, "child" can refer to adult offspring in contexts like "She is my child."
Can a female be called a mother even if she hasn't given birth?
Yes, motherhood can be through adoption, fostering, or other forms of caregiving.
Can "child" denote naivety in adults?
Yes, calling an adult a "child" might imply innocence or naivety.
Does every child have a mother?
Biologically, every child has a mother, but life circumstances can affect their relationship.
Who is a Mother in relation to a family?
A mother is a female parent who has given birth to or raised a child.
Can animals be referred to as "children"?
Typically, animals' offspring are not referred to as "children," but colloquially, pet owners might call their pets "children."
How is "Mother" used in non-familial contexts?
"Mother" can symbolize origin or care, as in "Mother Nature" or "mother tongue."
What's a synonym for "child"?
"Kid" is a common synonym for "child."
Can "mother" refer to a protective instinct?
Yes, the term "mothering" often refers to caring and protective behavior.
What is a Child's primary definition?
A child is a young human being below the age of puberty.
How is "child" used in legal contexts?
In legal contexts, "child" can refer to a minor or someone under a certain age, depending on jurisdiction.
Can "mother" refer to inanimate objects?
In some contexts, like "mother ship" or "motherboard," it can denote something central or primary.
How does a "child's" relationship with their "mother" typically evolve?
As a child matures, their dependence on their mother might reduce, but the emotional bond often remains strong.
Can "Mother" be used as a verb?
Yes, "to mother" means to give birth to or to care for like a mother.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
