# foster

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈfɒs.tə/ · frequency rank #4,085

## Definitions
1. Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
2. Receiving such care.
3. Related by such care.

## Etymology
From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).

## Easily confused with
- **foyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foster-vs-foyer)
- **fowler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foster-vs-fowler)
- **frosted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foster-vs-frosted)
- **forte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forte-vs-foster)
- **former** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/former-vs-foster)
- **faster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/faster-vs-foster)
- **filter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/filter-vs-foster)
- **fisher** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fisher-vs-foster)
- **folder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folder-vs-foster)
- **fodder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fodder-vs-foster)
- **footed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/footed-vs-foster)
- **footer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/footer-vs-foster)
- **fatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fatter-vs-foster)
- **fitter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fitter-vs-foster)
- **fasten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fasten-vs-foster)
- **falter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/falter-vs-foster)
- **fester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fester-vs-foster)
- **fisted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fisted-vs-foster)
- **Forster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forster-vs-foster)
- **floater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/floater-vs-foster)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ffoster`, `fosetr`, `fosster`, `fosterr`, `fostre`, `fostter`, `fotser`, `fsoter`, `ofster`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/foster