paternal
Americanadjective
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characteristic of or befitting a father; fatherly.
a kind and paternal reprimand.
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of or relating to a father.
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related on the father's side.
one's paternal grandfather.
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derived or inherited from a father.
paternal traits.
adjective
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relating to or characteristic of a father, esp in showing affection, encouragement, etc; fatherly
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(prenominal) related through the father
his paternal grandfather
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inherited or derived from the male parent
Synonym Usage
See fatherly.
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
The word paternal describes anything that has to do with fatherhood, like your dad's paternal habit of giving you advice, always including some "when I was a boy..." tales. Paternal originates from the Old French word of the same spelling, meaning "of a father." For example, your paternal grandparents are your father's parents. (Your mom's parents are your maternal grandparents.) Paternal describes your father specifically, or fatherhood in general, like common paternal activities like father-son fishing trips and making sure the guy who is dating his daughter is respectful and sincere.
Vocabulary lists containing paternal
It's All in the Family
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Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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Father's Day Words
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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.
Paternal step-grandmother, Kerrie Hoath, described the boys as "polite, carefree and very much loved", the court heard.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2024
Paternal, protective, by turns gruff and caring, and more or less insane, the good doctor is the latest take on Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist of Mary Shelley’s archetypal horror novel.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2023
Paternal grandmother, Irene Mercer, was an important part of those early years of Sarah’s life babysitting and helping out while Julie was at work.
From Washington Times • Jun. 7, 2015
A Paternal Pull, Found Unexpectedly in Uganda Here is the kind of life that Johnny O’Callaghan used to lead.
From New York Times • May 13, 2013
Paternal love softened the harsh outlines of his character, and spoke of a nature that might have made him a blessing instead of a curse to his kind.
From The Young Bank Messenger by Alger, Horatio
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.
