Finesentence

Paternal Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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paternal

pa-ter-nal

🇺🇸 /pəˈtɝnəɫ/ · 🇬🇧 /pətˈɜːnəl/

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

family

of or relating to a father

Synonyms

fatherly, parental, patriarchal.

Examples of usage

  • He had a strong paternal instinct towards his children.
  • His paternal grandfather was a strict man.
Context #2 | Adjective

genetics

derived or inherited from a father

Synonyms

from the father, inherited, patrilineal.

Examples of usage

  • The disease has a paternal link in their family history.
  • She inherited her paternal grandmother's blue eyes.

Translations

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Quick facts about “paternal”

Paternal is a 3-syllable adjective (pa-ter-nal). It is pronounced /pəˈtɝnəɫ/ in American English and /pətˈɜːnəl/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 2 meanings, 6 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #10,733 among the most common English words.

Origin of 'paternal'

The word 'paternal' originated from the Latin word 'paternus', which means 'of a father'. It has been used in English since the 15th century to describe things related to fathers or inherited from fathers. The concept of 'paternal' has evolved over time to encompass not only biological relationships but also emotional and supportive roles within a family or society.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,733, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.