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
fatherly
adverb
Examples of fatherly in a Sentence
He took a fatherly interest in the careers of younger writers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rothenberg Gritz: One of the really moving parts of the piece is that these men, especially Robert Certain, seemed to take kind of a fatherly attitude toward you.
—
Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023
While on set of his PEOPLE cover story (hitting newsstands Friday) on the rooftop terrace of his London apartment, Ramsay makes a fatherly faux pas.
—Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
There is camaraderie at the Paris film agency at the center of the show until the death of its fatherly head.
—Chandra Steele, PCMAG, 30 Aug. 2023
Stan will no longer be a living memory, a familiar face, a fatherly influence.
—Abraham Josephine Riesman, Vulture, 22 June 2023
Country Thunder Arizona 2023 festival:Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, more headlined festival Bentley couldn’t resist injecting some fatherly protectiveness into his daughter’s shopping mission.
—USA TODAY, 11 June 2023
Many of these songs happened because the artists involved reached out to him, underscoring the fatherly example he’s offered to generations of pop superstars and rock & roll oddballs.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2021
During those lessons, Koch gradually forms something of a fatherly bond with his captive, revealing his dreams of moving to Tehran after the war and opening up his own restaurant, while Reza takes advantage of his trust to help out his fellow prisoners.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
Both on and off the set, Luke couldn’t help but channel this kind of fatherly role with his on-screen sons Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan (Amir O’Neil).
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 14 Apr. 2023
See More
Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023
While on set of his PEOPLE cover story (hitting newsstands Friday) on the rooftop terrace of his London apartment, Ramsay makes a fatherly faux pas.
—Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
There is camaraderie at the Paris film agency at the center of the show until the death of its fatherly head.
—Chandra Steele, PCMAG, 30 Aug. 2023
Stan will no longer be a living memory, a familiar face, a fatherly influence.
—Abraham Josephine Riesman, Vulture, 22 June 2023
Country Thunder Arizona 2023 festival:Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, more headlined festival Bentley couldn’t resist injecting some fatherly protectiveness into his daughter’s shopping mission.
—USA TODAY, 11 June 2023
Many of these songs happened because the artists involved reached out to him, underscoring the fatherly example he’s offered to generations of pop superstars and rock & roll oddballs.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2021
During those lessons, Koch gradually forms something of a fatherly bond with his captive, revealing his dreams of moving to Tehran after the war and opening up his own restaurant, while Reza takes advantage of his trust to help out his fellow prisoners.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
Both on and off the set, Luke couldn’t help but channel this kind of fatherly role with his on-screen sons Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan (Amir O’Neil).
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 14 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fatherly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of fatherly was
before the 12th century
Articles Related to fatherly
Dictionary Entries Near fatherly
Cite this Entry
“Fatherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatherly. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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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
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