success has many fathers, failure is an orphan
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Many people will seek credit for success, but few will accept responsibility for failure.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Success has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan. Never mind.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “success has many fathers, failure is an orphan” mean?
Many people will seek credit for success, but few will accept responsibility for failure.
Is “success has many fathers, failure is an orphan” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.