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
-
(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.
While maternal mortality review committees closely examine the deaths of mothers during the first year of a child's life, the researchers say paternal mortality has received little comparable attention.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre in Normandy in 1894.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
As “Lincoln in the Bardo” tells it, this paternal visit complicates matters for Willie’s spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
He convinced Americans that he was a safe paternal figure who sold Jell-O pudding to giggling youngsters, who instilled wholesome values in children via Saturday morning cartoons.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2018
“Cool, but can you help me get back to my paternal grandma’s mobile home?”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
