orphan Synonyms
Another word for orphan
• noun (Context 1)
A child whose parents are dead, or a young animal that has permanently lost its mother.
"After the war, the charitable foundation established schools and homes for thousands of orphans."
• verb (Context 2)
To cause a child or young animal to lose its parents through death or permanent separation (usually used in the passive voice).
"The protagonist of the novel was orphaned at an early age and raised by her aunt in the countryside."
• adjective (Context 3)
Having no living parents, or deprived of parental care.
"The wildlife sanctuary specializes in rehabilitating orphaned bear cubs until they can survive in the wild."
• noun (Context 4)
A product, technology, or creative work that has been discontinued, abandoned by its creator, or left without an identifiable owner or support system.
"Once the manufacturer went bankrupt, the specialized printer became an castoff with no replacement parts available."
• verb (Context 5)
To abandon, discontinue support for, or sever a component, file, or project from its parent system or organization.
"Upgrading the operating system accidentally orphaned several legacy software drivers."
• adjective (Context 6)
Lacking a commercial sponsor, active developer, or institutional support, especially regarding a pharmaceutical drug for a rare disease or a discontinued technology.
"Federal incentives encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop abandoned drugs for rare genetic disorders."
Opposites of orphan
The opposite of orphan shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: