Quick Linguistic Question

So we are familiar with the idea that you can have a "biological father" (I'm going to just keep using father for this example) but then have a step-father, adoptive father, etc, who is very much "your father" instead of your biological father

However, if you said "my adoptive father" then people would be fairly quick to assume this person is not your biological father

that's correct

If you happened to want to be clear for some reason, is there any good term that would encompass "father figure I lived with for a long time, not biologically related to me" and "father figure I lived with for a long time, yes biologically related to me"? LIKE OBVIOUSLY FATHER IS GOOD... but yeah

i.....yeah i'd just go with father.

if you're looking for a term that encompasses both non-biological and biological fatherhood then....it's father.

i guess there's also the phrase "like a father to me"? that gets the message across that the person in question is a father figure

Yeah like... that is the vibe I have gotten so far elsewhere too. Like for example the QUITE REASONABLE AND CORRECT rejection of using the phrase "my real father" to mean "my biological father". Just wanted to make sure there was not some major development in this Im missing out on

nah, seems like you're on the right track

thank you Duo!!

ditto as someones who adopted

my dad is my dad even tho were not biologically related