Paternal Definition

pə-tûrnəl
adjective
Of, like, or characteristic of a father or fatherhood; fatherly.
Webster's New World
Derived, received, or inherited from a father.
Webster's New World
Related through the father's side of the family.
Paternal grandparents.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Origin of Paternal

  • From Old French paternal (“of a father") (12c.), a learned borrowing from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal"), from Classical Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal"), from pater (“father").

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old French from Late Latin paternālis from Latin paternus from pater father pəter- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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