godparent
noun
Someone who promises at a child's baptism or naming ceremony to help raise the child, traditionally in matters of faith.
Example sentences
- “The couple chose close family friends as godparents for their daughter.”
- “Each godparent made a promise during the ceremony at the church.”
The neutral cover term for godfather and godmother, useful in writing that avoids assuming gender. In many traditions godparents are the backup guardians by custom, not by law.