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.
Children are almost always treated with special deference in American law, because lawmakers understand and respect the significance of adolescence and the necessity of parental guidance.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
“If that was the case, the tests would not establish whether parental safety notifications work as designed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
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
The town's association with romance dates back to 1754, when changes to marriage laws in England prompted young runaway couples to cross the border into Scotland, where they could marry without needing parental consent.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
I’m remembering that moment so clearly now and I’m wondering—if this is indeed death—will 1 see my father’s dorky parental smile when I open my eyes?
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
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.
