paternal
Americanadjective
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characteristic of or befitting a father; fatherly.
a kind and paternal reprimand.
-
of or relating to a father.
-
related on the father's side.
one's paternal grandfather.
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derived or inherited from a father.
paternal traits.
adjective
-
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.
And then there was the photograph that sat on his grandmother’s desk and eventually came to sit on his own, a professional portrait of his paternal grandfather.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But an 1889 imperial house law stipulated that only men could become emperor, and only through the paternal line.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
This suggests that different evolutionary pressures shaped the development of maternal and paternal care.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
His paternal grandfather Mate immigrated from the former Yugoslavia in search of opportunity and was later naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Brotherly protectiveness mixed with financial and paternal pain in Milton’s heaving breast.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
