paternity
Americannoun
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the state of being a father; fatherhood.
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derivation or acquirement from a father.
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origin or authorship.
adjective
noun
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the fact or state of being a father
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( as modifier )
a paternity suit was filed against the man
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descent or derivation from a father
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authorship or origin
the paternity of the theory is disputed
Etymology
Origin of paternity
1400–50; late Middle English paternite < Late Latin paternitās. See paternal, -ity
Explanation
Use the noun paternity to describe the relationship a father has to his child. You might say, "His paternity is so clear — his daughter has the same red hair that he does!" Fatherhood and the connection between a father and child is what paternity is all about, but the word most often comes up in legal situations. Attorneys use the word paternity when there is a question about who a child's biological father is or what kind of financial or legal responsibility he has. The Latin root is paternus, "relating to a father," from pater, "father."
Vocabulary lists containing paternity
It's All in the Family
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Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #8
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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.
Owens, a California native living in Arizona, filed a paternity lawsuit against Echard in 2023 seeking child support, according to prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
OpenAI said he was scheduled for two months of paternity leave beginning sometime in October, the filing said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
"In a year we would analyse 1,000-1,500 samples, often in case of paternity or crime scenes," said Mukul Pradhan, chief scientific officer at the National Forensic Science Laboratory.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Albert II abdicated as king of the Belgians in 2013 as the paternity issue became a royal scandal.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Or why she might be conveniently cured, in order to prove his paternity?
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
