paternal
adjective /pəˈtɜː.nəl/
/-ˈtɝː-/ Definition
› of or like a father: He's very paternal (= showing the affectionate feelings of a father) - it's lovely to see him with the baby. My paternal grandparents (= my father's parents) were Irish. → Compare maternalFamily relations in generalTreating and caring for people paternally /-i/ adverb Family relations in generalTreating and caring for people
(Definition of paternal adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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- Enemies & rivals
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- Family: informal names
- Family: non-blood relations
- Friendly
- Friends, acquaintances & contemporaries
- Marriage, cohabitation & other relationships
- Marriage: marital status
- Not being friendly
- Relationships: ending & divorce
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Synonyms and related words:
- aunt noun
- be sb's own flesh and blood idiom
- birth mother noun
- birth parent noun
- black sheep noun
- first cousin noun
- fraternal adjective
- grandchild noun
- granddaughter noun
- grandfather noun
- maiden aunt noun
- maternal adjective
- matriarch noun
- mother noun (PARENT)
- motherhood noun
- sire noun (FATHER)
- sisterhood noun
- son noun
- uncle noun
- working mother/father/parent noun
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Family: relations in general
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