Definition of PATERNAL

paternal

Meanings

Adjective

  • belonging to or inherited from one's father
    • "spent his childhood on the paternal farm"
    • "paternal traits"
  • characteristic of a father
  • relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent

Adjective Satellite

  • related on the father's side
    • "a paternal aunt"

Adj

  • Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
  • Fatherly; behaving as or characteristic of a father.
  • Received or inherited from one's father.
  • Acting as a father.

Origin / Etymology

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”).

Antonyms

filial, maternal

Scrabble Score: 10

paternal is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
paternal is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
paternal is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

paternal is a valid Words With Friends word