paternal
Americanadjective
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characteristic of or befitting a father; fatherly.
a kind and paternal reprimand.
-
of or relating to a father.
-
related on the father's side.
one's paternal grandfather.
-
derived or inherited from a father.
paternal traits.
adjective
-
relating to or characteristic of a father, esp in showing affection, encouragement, etc; fatherly
-
(prenominal) related through the father
his paternal grandfather
-
inherited or derived from the male parent
Related Words
See fatherly.
Other Word Forms
- nonpaternal adjective
- nonpaternally adverb
- paternally adverb
- unpaternal adjective
- unpaternally adverb
Etymology
Origin of paternal
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Old French paternel, from Late Latin paternālis, equivalent to Latin patern(us) “paternal” ( pater father + -nus adjective suffix) + -ālis -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Few know her real name, María Harfuch Hidalgo, whose paternal surname reflects her Lebanese ancestry.
From Los Angeles Times
King said he grew up with a family story that his father's biological father - King's apparent paternal grandfather - was a man named Elvin Hunt, who was part Cherokee.
From BBC
“He exemplifies profound paternal investment, fostering their potential amid global challenges, surpassing most historical figures in active involvement despite scale,” the AI chatbot wrote.
From Salon
Melodee’s paternal family said that Buzzard has not permitted them to contact the girl since 2021 and that they are extremely concerned for her.
From Los Angeles Times
Mr Archer said he knew his father was aware he had a son called Oliver, and had a picture of his paternal grandmother holding him as a baby.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
