paternity

[ puh-tur-ni-tee ]

/ pəˈtɜr nɪ ti /

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See synonyms for paternity on Thesaurus.com

noun

the state of being a father; fatherhood.

derivation or acquirement from a father.

origin or authorship.

adjective

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.

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Origin of paternity

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

Words nearby paternity

pater, paterfamilias, paternal, paternalism, paternalistic, paternity, paternity leave, paternity suit, paternity test, paternoster, Pater Patriae

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paternity in a sentence

When each of his four children was born, he took just one to two weeks of paternity leave, feeling pressure to get back to work quickly, especially after the birth of his fourth, which coincided with him raising capital for Cordial.
‘Serious ramifications’: Why unshakeable gender stereotypes prevent men from taking paternity leave|Jessica Davies|July 13, 2021|Digiday
We have so many progressive policies across the company, from generous paternity and maternity leave to our new policy on gender-based violence, where we’ve come up with a policy of extra leave for men or women who find themselves in that position.
How Leena Nair, Unilever’s Head of HR, Sees the Future of Work in a Post-Pandemic World|Suyin Haynes|May 23, 2021|Time
We already have enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption leave policies, but we know that starting a family isn’t always easy, so we’ve created new LADfamily offerings to support our team even further.
‘We’re seeing a wide spectrum of feelings’: Reopening of society and offices is causing unexpected anxiety|Jessica Davies|May 17, 2021|Digiday
We already had a generous maternity, paternity, adoption and SPL pay policy but LADfamily is the next phase in our ambition to help employees balance work and family life.
‘We’re seeing a wide spectrum of feelings’: Reopening of society and offices is causing unexpected anxiety|Jessica Davies|May 17, 2021|Digiday

Policy can strategically boost these support systems — paternity leave, for instance, frees up dads to support moms, causing a 26% drop in the amount of anti-anxiety medications moms needed, one Stanford study showed.
How My Research Into the Biology of Mothers Helps Me Imagine a Post-Pandemic Future|Abigail Tucker|May 4, 2021|Time
Some seventy-plus countries currently offer some paternity leave or parental leave days reserved for the father.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Certainly paid paternity leave is part of it (and in the U.S., we need paid maternity and paternity leave).
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She refused to take a paternity test, and was eventually convicted of extortion and sentenced to 22 months in prison.
I Warned You About Bill Cosby in 2007|Mark Ebner|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This recognized family rights when paternity is established, whether a child was born in or out of wedlock.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2010, the ‘Good Wife’ star received some shocking news about his paternity.
Alan Cumming: The Truth About My Father|Tim Teeman|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Moreover, women were proud of the paternity of their children begotten in their relationship to the friars.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He bore himself, this husband of Jane's, with an air of triumphant paternity, as if (Tanqueray reflected) he had had a hand in it.
The Creators|May Sinclair
In short, in this instance, your paternity renders you all the more proud from the fact that it is incontestable, my dear sir!
The Petty Troubles of Married Life, Complete|Honore de Balzac
Even the planets and their moons do not represent the Sun's complete paternity.
Astronomy for Amateurs|Camille Flammarion
Scandal accused her of a prodigality of favours which must have rendered the paternity of Don John very dubious.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for paternity

paternity

/ (pəˈtɜːnɪtɪ) /

noun

the fact or state of being a father
(as modifier)a paternity suit was filed against the man

descent or derivation from a father

authorship or originthe paternity of the theory is disputed

Word Origin for paternity

C15: from Late Latin paternitās, from Latin pater father

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

paternity

Origin of paternity

Words nearby paternity

Words related to paternity

How to use paternity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paternity

Word Origin for paternity