A person who shares the role or responsibilities of being a father with another person; a co-parent or joint father figure.
From co- (together) + father (from Old English fæder, from Proto-Germanic *fadēr). The term combines the prefix indicating shared responsibility with the traditional term for a male parent.
In modern families, cofather has become increasingly relevant—whether describing stepfathers working alongside biological fathers, adoptive co-parents, or any arrangement where multiple men share parenting duties. It's a recent word for an arrangement that's actually ancient.
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