Parent’s or Parents’ or Parents?

The term parent’s is the singular possessive form of parent. E.g., “The parent’s car is parked in the driveway.” Furthermore, parents’ is the plural possessive version. E.g., “Both parents’ advice is valuable.” Also, parents is the standard plural version. E.g., “I am having dinner with the parents tonight.”

This table provides an overview of the different forms of the word parent.

Form	Example
Singular	Parent
Plural	Parents
Singular Possessive	Parent’s
Plural Possessive	Parents’

The following examples show how you can use the different forms in a sentence:

• Singular: The caring parent attended the school meeting.
• Plural: All parents are invited to the PTA conference.
• Singular possessive: I admire the parent’s dedication to their child.
• Plural possessive: The accomplishments reflect all parents’ involvement.

Keep reading to learn more about using the plural and possessive versions of the term parent.

Parent’s

The term parent’s is the singular possessive version of the word parent. That means you use it to refer to something that one parent owns or possesses.

• The parent’s support is important  during the college application process.
• This parent’s commitment to education is evident.

Furthermore, even though the plural version of parent and the plural possessive commonly refer to various individuals, the singular possessive usually only relates to a single parent.

Parents’

The term parents’ is the plural possessive form of the word parent. That means you use it to indicate ownership or possession of something by more than one parent.

• The collaborative effort of the parents’ committee made the school event a success.
• Parents’ concerns should be addressed in the upcoming meeting.

Furthermore, people commonly use the term parents’ to refer to a collective set of individuals. For instance, when addressing multiple parents in a school or community, it is common to say parents.

Therefore, you can use the plural possessive to refer to something possessed by multiple parents.

• The improvements in the school facilities are a result of all parents’ contributions.

Parents

The term parents is the plural form of the word parent. Consequently, you can use it to refer to multiple parents, as long as the structure is not possessive.

• I am organizing a workshop for all parents to discuss child development.
• You parents play a big role in shaping the future of your children.

Additionally, you can also use parents to refer to a collective of individuals providing care and support.

• Good evening, parents. Your involvement is key to our children’s success!