* A male parent. This is the most basic and literal definition, referring to the biological or adoptive male who contributes to the creation of a child.
It's important to note that denotation focuses on the literal and objective meaning of a word, without considering any emotional or subjective interpretations.
While "father" can have many other connotations (like provider, protector, authority figure, etc.), the denotative meaning simply refers to the biological or adoptive male parent.