Fatherlessness

Origin

From fatherless + -ness.

Full definition of fatherlessness

Noun

1. The state or quality of being fatherless.
• 2007, October 16, Bob Herbert, Tough, Sad and Smart, Speaking about the epidemic of fatherlessness in black families, Mr. Cosby imagined a young fatherless child thinking: “Somewhere in my life a person called my father has not shown up, and I feel very sad about this because I don’t know if I’m ugly — I don’t know what the reason is.”
• 2007, December 18, David Brooks, The Obama-Clinton Issue, Obama did not respond to his fatherlessness or his racial predicament with anger and rage, but as questions for investigation, conversation and synthesis.
• 2008, June 16, Julie Bosman, Obama Calls for More Responsibility From Black Fathers, His themes have also been sounded by the comedian Bill Cosby , who has stirred debate among black Americans by bluntly speaking about an epidemic of fatherlessness in African-American families while suggesting that some blacks use racism as a crutch to explain the lack of economic progress.