founder
20 synonyms and 0 antonyms for founder, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who establishes an organization, company, or institution.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use founder
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French fondeur, from Latin fundator — related to "found" in the sense of "establish."
Full origin of founder →Frequently asked questions
What does “founder” mean?
The word “founder” means a person who establishes an organization, company, or institution. In plain terms, someone who starts an organization, or as a verb, to sink or collapse into failure.
How do you pronounce “founder”?
“Founder” is pronounced FOWN-duh (/ˈfaʊ̯n.dɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “founder” in a sentence?
Here is “founder” used in a sentence: “The founder of the company still runs it today.”
What part of speech is “founder”?
Depending on how it is used, “founder” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “founder” come from?
The word “founder” comes from Latin. From Old French fondeur, from Latin fundator — related to "found" in the sense of "establish.".
Is “founder” a common word?
“Founder” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “founder” have?
“Founder” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who establishes an organization, company, or institution.
What is the difference between founder and flounder?
This is a classic mix-up. A founder is someone who establishes an organisation; as a verb, to founder means to fail or sink, as a ship founders. To flounder is different, meaning to struggle clumsily or thrash about, like a flounder, the flatfish. A business can flounder for years before it founders.
What is the difference between a founder and a co-founder?
A founder is a person who establishes an organisation, whether alone or as its driving force. A co-founder is one of two or more people who start it together, sharing that role. If a single person launches a company they are the founder; if several do it jointly, each is a co-founder.
What is the difference between a founder and a CEO?
A founder is the person who created the company, a fact that never changes. A CEO is whoever currently runs it as chief executive. Often the founder is also the first CEO, but a company can later hire an outside CEO while the founder stays on, steps back, or moves aside entirely.
What is an example of a founder?
A founder is the person behind an organisation's beginning, the individual who set up a charity, launched a start-up, or established a school or institution. For instance, the person who starts a bakery and builds it from nothing is its founder, credited with bringing the whole enterprise into being.