fatherly

adjective

fa·​ther·​ly ˈfä-t͟hər-lē 

1

: of, relating to, or befitting a father

fatherly responsibilities

2

: resembling a father (as in affection or care)

a fatherly old man

fatherliness

ˈfä-t͟hər-lē-nəs 

noun

fatherly adverb

Examples of fatherly in a Sentence

He took a fatherly interest in the careers of younger writers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Notably in season 3 of the Netflix hit series, Eleven and Hopper struggled with dynamics of independence and fatherly protection. —Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Another time, Bruce Springsteen cheers up her bereaved 12-year-old son by taking him for his first motorcycle ride — a fatherly promise that Fred Smith didn’t live long enough to fulfill. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025

Montana Jordan misses the fatherly presence of costar Lance Barber's character on set. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025

This is someone from his past who has this almost fatherly relationship to him, and that is when [Jake] finally releases [his pain]. —Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fatherly

adjective

fa·​ther·​ly ˈfät͟h-ər-lē 

ˈfȧt͟h-

1

: of or resembling a father

fatherly responsibilities

2

: showing the affection or concern of a father

fatherly advice

fatherliness noun