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
His paternal grandfather was a farmer, and as a boy Anderson spent much of his time among sheep and chickens.
—
Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Take my paternal grandfather, Charles Espinoza, for example.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
His paternal family agonized while searching the child, known as Aziz, as authorities launched a sprawling search across 11 states.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025
Lincoln’s paternal grandmother, América, admired Emerson greatly.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paternal
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Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Take my paternal grandfather, Charles Espinoza, for example.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
His paternal family agonized while searching the child, known as Aziz, as authorities launched a sprawling search across 11 states.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025
Lincoln’s paternal grandmother, América, admired Emerson greatly.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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