fathership

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English fadership, equivalent to father +‎ -ship. === Noun === fathership (countable and uncountable, plural fatherships) The state of being a father Synonyms: fatherhood, paternity (religion) A title of respect addressed to a priest. === References === “fathership”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.