parental
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a parent.
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proper to or characteristic of a parent.
parental feelings.
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having the relation of a parent
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Genetics. pertaining to the sequence of generations preceding the filial generation, each generation being designated by a P followed by a subscript number indicating its place in the sequence.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to a parent or parenthood
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genetics designating the first generation in a line, which gives rise to all succeeding (filial) generations
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parental
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin parentālis “of, belonging to parents,” equivalent to parent- “parent” + -ālis adjective suffix; see parent, -al 1
Explanation
Someone who's parental acts the way a typical mother or father does. A parental kindergarten teacher might pat students' heads and call them "sweetheart." You can use the adjective parental to describe a motherly or fatherly person, like your parental uncle who attends all your school plays. It also describes something generally related to parents — like parental leave, a work benefit that allows new parents to take some time off to care for their baby; or a parental advisory, which warns parents about the content of an audio recording. The Latin root of parental is parens, "father or mother."
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.
Among its provisions, that law requires parental notification and consent, with an opt-out option, before students participate in surveys asking about sensitive private information such as religious beliefs, sexual behavior or mental health problems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
WhatsApp is introducing new parental controls for teenagers, as tech companies continue to come under pressure to provide more age-appropriate experiences for children.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
But now, psychologists say young adults’ definition of harmful parental behavior is changing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
If work and wages look similar to before the Great Recession, why wouldn’t the rate of parental coresidence go back to normal, too?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
The race was an all-day affair, heat upon heat of anxious and eager adolescent boys soldiering on through wobbly wheels, broken axles, driver error, parental disappointment, and photo finishes.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
