fatherly

adjective fa·ther·ly \ ˈfä-t͟hər-lē \

Updated on: 2 May 2018

Definition of fatherly

1 : of, relating to, or befitting a father

fatherly responsibilities

2 : resembling a father (as in affection or care)

a fatherly old man

—

fatherliness

play \ˈfä-t͟hər-lē-nəs\ noun

—

fatherly

adverb

See fatherly defined for English-language learners

See fatherly defined for kids

Examples of fatherly in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of fatherly from the Web

LeBron and many others have been raised with little fatherly guidance and a strong female presence in their lives.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando Magic should hire Becky Hammon as first woman head coach in NBA history," 20 Apr. 2018
And because this is the frontman of Aerosmith, the Demon of Screamin', a sterling skull and stack of chain link rings further adorned his fatherly fingers.

— calin van paris, Vogue, "Steven Tyler Does Nail Art Like Only a Rock Icon Could," 17 Apr. 2018
What the change means: This cultural shift is particularly important for Cosby, a barrier-busting comedian who for years capitalized on his warm, fatherly reputation.

— eric levenson, CNN, "Bill Cosby is on trial again. But a lot has changed since his mistrial last year," 31 Mar. 2018
And Larry Marshall makes Joe, an older gentleman with a fatherly interest in Jenna, a true delight.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "In 'Waitress,' tasty performances spice up familiar fodder," 21 Mar. 2018
After awakening to the house ablaze, in a superhero-esque act of fatherly devotion—we’d expect nothing less from him—Jack gets his family out of their burning home and then goes. back. in. to save the Pearsons’ adorable little dog Louie.

— sarah klein, Health.com, "We Finally Know How Jack Pearson Died on 'This Is Us'—and It's Surprisingly Common," 5 Feb. 2018
The play shows us Adam (Theo Germaine) as a small putative girl, meeting with Barnes (David Parkes), whose determination to prove his thesis doesn't preclude a fatherly devotion to her.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "Arts / LGBT / Theater Boy shows the consequences of a gender experiment gone wrong," 24 Jan. 2018
In the process, Kevin crashes a dirt bike and frets about all his motherly/fatherly duties.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Kevin Can Wait Managed to Make Donna's Death Even More Uncomfortable," 3 Oct. 2017
Noor Agha, the third of the three men fighting ISIS here, is a district police chief who cuts a soft-spoken, fatherly figure.

— mujib mashal, New York Times, "In Tangled Afghan War, a Thin Line of Defense Against ISIS," 25 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatherly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fatherly

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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FATHERLY Defined for English Language Learners

fatherly

adjective

Definition of fatherly for English Language Learners

: of a father : resembling a father : showing the affection or concern of a father

FATHERLY Defined for Kids

fatherly

adjective fa·ther·ly \ ˈfä-t͟hər-lē \

Definition of fatherly for Students

: of or like a father

He gave me fatherly advice.

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Spanish Central: Translation of fatherly Nglish: Translation of fatherly for Spanish speakers

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fatherly

Definition of fatherly

fatherliness

fatherly

Examples of fatherly in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fatherly from the Web

First Known Use of fatherly

FATHERLY Defined for English Language Learners

fatherly

Definition of fatherly for English Language Learners

FATHERLY Defined for Kids

fatherly

Definition of fatherly for Students

Learn More about fatherly

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fatherly

Definition of fatherly

fatherliness

fatherly

Examples of fatherly in a Sentence

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First Known Use of fatherly

FATHERLY Defined for English Language Learners

fatherly

Definition of fatherly for English Language Learners

FATHERLY Defined for Kids

fatherly

Definition of fatherly for Students

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