A parent; a person who has a child or raises a child (mother or father).
子どもは親と一緒に公園で遊んだ。
The child played in the park with their parent(s).
親は子供の教育に責任がある。
Parents have responsibility for their children's education.
私の親は料理が得意だ。
My parents are good at cooking.
The dealer/banker in games like mahjong — the player who is 'oya' for the hand/round.
今日は僕が親だから、頑張って勝ちたい。
I'm the dealer today, so I want to try hard to win.
麻雀で親がツモって全員から点を取った。
In mahjong the dealer drew the winning tile and took points from everyone.
A founder or originator of a movement, organization, or invention (figurative usage).
彼はその演劇集団の親と呼ばれている。
He is called the founder of that theatre group.
A pet owner; the person who keeps or owns an animal (colloquial usage).
猫の親として毎日餌と遊びの時間を与えている。
As the cat's owner, I give it food and playtime every day.
A parent organization or main/primary entity (e.g., parent company; the principal organization).
親会社の承認がないとその計画は実行できない。
Without approval from the parent company, that plan cannot be carried out.
親組織の許可を得てイベントを開催した。
We held the event after obtaining permission from the parent organization.
Can refer to ancestors or forebears (used in contexts like things passed down from parents/previous generations).
この祭りは親から子へ代々受け継がれてきた。
This festival has been passed down from parents to children for generations.
彼の親はこの地方で代々続く家系だ。
His ancestors come from a family line that has continued in this region for generations.