paternity

[puh-tur-ni-tee]

noun

1. the state of being a father; fatherhood.

2. derivation or acquirement from a father.

3. origin or authorship.

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a legal dispute in which an unwed mother accuses a man of being the father of her child.

   a paternity suit.

paternity

/ pəˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the fact or state of being a father

   2. ( as modifier )

      a paternity suit was filed against the man

2. descent or derivation from a father

3. authorship or origin

   the paternity of the theory is disputed

Word History and Origins

Origin of paternity¹

1400–50; late Middle English paternite < Late Latin paternitās. See paternal, -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of paternity¹

C15: from Late Latin paternitās, from Latin pater father

Example Sentences

Among the issues raised by MPs included a push for prostate cancer screening, a focus on under-achievement by working-class boys in school, and a campaign to get better paternity leave for men.

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Thornton had stormed off the set of the “RHOP” Season 9 reunion show after a castmate suggested she was a “terrible mother” who had leveraged her youngest child’s paternity for the benefit of the show.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Microchimeric cells can wreak havoc with genetic paternity tests and DNA analysis in criminal cases.

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It's the first time paternity has been proved in this way in a UK court.

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Parents who do not work might still be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare if their partner works, or they receive some benefits - for example if they are on maternity or paternity leave.

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Related Words

• ancestry 
• birth 
• descent 
• lineage