godfather

Etymology

From Middle English godfader, from Old English godfæder (“godfather”), equivalent to god + father. Cognate with Old Saxon godfadar (“godfather”), Middle Dutch godvader (“godfather”), Danish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Swedish gudfader, gudfar (“godfather”), Icelandic guðfaðir (“godfather”).

noun

1. (Christianity) A man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a male godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.
2. (figurative) Someone who plays a key role in fostering the development of something.
   The man often touted as the godfather of AI has quit Google, citing concerns over the flood of misinformation, the possibility for AI to upend the job market, and the “existential risk” posed by the creation of a true digital intelligence. 2023-05-02, Josh Taylor, Alex Hern, “‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton quits Google and warns over dangers of misinformation”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
3. (crime) A mafia leader.
4. A small post which is used in repairing a fence. For instance attached to and supporting an existing broken fence post.

verb

1. (transitive, often figurative) To act as godfather or guardian to.
   Hull objected violently that aid had not been used to extract commitments on postwar economic policy; the joint chiefs had wanted bases; others in the military still wanted Britain to play only a minor, if any, role in the Pacific; and they were all apparently angry at the Treasury for godfathering the Quebec Agreement. 1996, Ann Lane, The Rise and Fall of the Grand Alliance, 1941–45, page 61
   But months before, he'd agreed to godfather the premiere of The Godfather. 2006, Robert Evans, The Kid Stays in the Picture, page 5
   The grave site, humble as it is, reflects something more than a hometown’s determination to honor a fallen son, something that seems irreducible in the politics of Iraq: the refusal of the Sunni minority, who ruled Iraq for centuries until Mr. Hussein’s overthrow, to reconcile themselves to the assumption of power by the Shiite majority who won elections godfathered by the American occupation authority. August 3, 2007, John F. Burns, “At Hussein Grave, Legend Lives as Fury Simmers”, in New York Times