noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/kəʊˈfaʊndə/
General-American:kōʹfound'ər
General-American:kōʹfound-ər
General-American:kō'foundʹər
General-American:/ˈkoʊ(ˌ)faʊndɚ/
General-American:/ˌkoʊˈfaʊndɚ/
rhymes with -aʊndə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:K OW1 F AW1 N D ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A joint founder; one of several people involved with the creation of a business, organization, union, or entity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The two cofounders both attended the ceremony.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
one of a group of founders
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: founder, beginner, founding father, father
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin co-der. English co- English founder English cofounder From co- + founder.
Across languages
Translations
26 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
համահիմնադիր
(hamahimnadir)
— one who founds something with someone else
Catalan:
cofundador
— one who founds something with someone else
Chinese Mandarin:
共同創辦人 /共同创办人
(gòngtóngchuàngbànrén)
— one who founds something with someone else
Dutch:
mede-oprichter
— one who founds something with someone else
Esperanto:
kunfondinto
— one who founds something with someone else
French:
cofondateur
— one who founds something with someone else
French:
cofondatrice
— one who founds something with someone else
German:
Mitgründer
— one who founds something with someone else
German:
Mitgründerin
— one who founds something with someone else
Hungarian:
társalapító
— one who founds something with someone else
Irish:
comhbhunaitheoir
— one who founds something with someone else
Italian:
cofondatore
— one who founds something with someone else
Italian:
cofondatrice
— one who founds something with someone else
Luxembourgish:
Matgrënner
— one who founds something with someone else
Polish:
współzałożyciel
— one who founds something with someone else
Polish:
współzałożycielka
— one who founds something with someone else
Russian:
сооснова́тель
(soosnovátelʹ)
— one who founds something with someone else
Russian:
сооснова́тельница
(soosnovátelʹnica)
— one who founds something with someone else
Russian:
соучреди́тель
(součredítelʹ)
— one who founds something with someone else
Russian:
соучреди́тельница
(součredítelʹnica)
— one who founds something with someone else
Spanish:
cofundador
— one who founds something with someone else
Spanish:
cofundadora
— one who founds something with someone else
Swahili:
mwanzilishi mwenza
— one who founds something with someone else
Swedish:
medgrundare
— one who founds something with someone else
Ukrainian:
співзасно́вник
(spivzasnóvnyk)
— one who founds something with someone else
Ukrainian:
співзасно́вниця
(spivzasnóvnycja)
— one who founds something with someone else