maternal
Americanadjective
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of, pertaining to, having the qualities of, or befitting a mother.
maternal instincts.
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related through a mother.
his maternal aunt.
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derived from a mother.
maternal genes.
adjective
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of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of a mother
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related through the mother's side of the family
his maternal uncle
Other Word Forms
- maternalism noun
- maternalistic adjective
- maternally adverb
- nonmaternal adjective
- nonmaternally adverb
- quasi-maternal adjective
- quasi-maternally adverb
- unmaternal adjective
- unmaternally adverb
Etymology
Origin of maternal
1475–85; < Medieval Latin māternālis, equivalent to Latin mātern ( us ) ( māter mother 1 + -nus adj. suffix) + -ālis -al 1
Compare meaning
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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.
Copies of the report are also being sent to Mohamed's mother and father, his maternal grandmother, his uncle, and the London Ambulance Service.
From BBC
She also started incorporating images of other inspiring women, including her maternal forebears and the Cuban American sculptor Ana Mendieta.
From Los Angeles Times
But it was their maternal grandfather, a doctor in Springfield, Ill., who had the biggest influence on Levis’s career path.
One example is a September 2025 document outlining CDC priorities stating that the agency “will promote the dignity of human life at all stages of development, improve maternal health care, and strengthen the family.”
From Salon
Under a five-year bilateral deal, Washington will contribute nearly $2.1 billion to help prevent HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and polio, and to protect maternal and child health, a US State Department spokeman said.
From Barron's
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.
