parental
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a parent.
-
proper to or characteristic of a parent.
parental feelings.
-
having the relation of a parent
-
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
-
of or relating to a parent or parenthood
-
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.
Both of the youngsters fledged, or took their first flight from the nest, but are still hanging around their natal digs, enjoying parental food deliveries and protection from intruders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
One of the earliest, from the 1950s, concerns the Turners, a Southern California family that resembles those of many homeschoolers today—parents uncomfortable with a lack of parental and local control in education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
French Senators had opted for a two-tier system distinguishing between blacklisted platforms flagged as harmful to a child's development, and those that could still be accessed with parental consent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
In England, Wales and Scotland, if you are under the age of 16 you need the consent, external of everyone with parental responsibility for you.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
They got to spend time with their children and let the parental mask slip just a bit, giving their offspring a glimpse of the curious child they themselves had once been.
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.
