paternal
adjective
pa·ter·nal
pə-ˈtər-nᵊl 
1
a
: of or relating to a father
offered his children some paternal advice
paternal responsibilities
b
: like that of a father
paternal benevolence
2
: received or inherited from one's male parent
lived and worked on his paternal farm
3
: related through one's father
paternal grandfather
Examples of paternal in a Sentence
He did not neglect his paternal responsibilities after the divorce.
Recent Examples on the Web
These mutations can be spontaneous, but the paternal age of a sperm donor can also be a factor.
—
Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The performances are deliriously inspired, from Mark Ruffalo’s hilarious caricature of insecure manhood to Willem Dafoe’s oddly paternal mad scientist to Stone’s astonishing mental maturation through every developmental stage on the way to adulthood.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Ludwig’s distant paternal ancestors were in fact German Jewish merchants, not warlike princes.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
His paternal grandma prints the flyers and helps get the word out, while his mom’s mom makes the costumes.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paternal
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Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The performances are deliriously inspired, from Mark Ruffalo’s hilarious caricature of insecure manhood to Willem Dafoe’s oddly paternal mad scientist to Stone’s astonishing mental maturation through every developmental stage on the way to adulthood.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Ludwig’s distant paternal ancestors were in fact German Jewish merchants, not warlike princes.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
His paternal grandma prints the flyers and helps get the word out, while his mom’s mom makes the costumes.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paternal
Cite this Entry
“Paternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paternal. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paternal
adjective
pa·ter·nal
pə-ˈtərn-ᵊl
1
: fatherly
paternal advice
2
: received or inherited from one's father
3
: related through the father
a paternal grandfather
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