maternal

adjective ma·ter·nal \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: maternal in a Sentence

Definition of maternal

1 : of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother : motherly

maternal love

maternal instincts

2 a : related through a mother

his maternal aunt

b : inherited or derived from the female parent

maternal genes

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maternally

play \-nᵊl-ē\ adverb

See maternal defined for English-language learners

See maternal defined for kids

Examples of maternal in a Sentence

Doctors are concerned about the effects of the drug on maternal health.
her maternal instincts told her that something was wrong

Recent Examples of maternal from the Web

The couple did not begin dating seriously until their sophomore year in college, but were introduced while high school seniors, after the bride’s maternal grandfather, Richard Walkoff of Westport, Conn., met the groom’s mother at a bar mitzvah.

— New York Times, "Danielle Marshak, Evan Feinberg," 8 July 2018
His maternal grandfather, Antonio Maura (1853- 1925), was a five-time Spanish prime minister whose political reforms helped to entrench the country’s constitutional monarchy.

— tobias grey, WSJ, "‘Exile, Writer, Soldier, Spy’ Review: A Man of Many Lives," 29 June 2018
At the age of 12 Lukaku's maternal grandfather, who the player calls 'one of the most important people in my life', died.

— SI.com, "Romelu Lukaku Recalls the Day He Knew His Family Was 'Broke' & How it Has Shaped His Career," 18 June 2018
His maternal grandfather, Frank Cosola, was a fireman and a former Navy sailor, who had earned a Silver Star in the Pacific during the Second World War.

— jon lee anderson, The New Yorker, "The Diplomat Who Quit the Trump Administration," 19 May 2018
Others noted that this rhetoric almost exactly echoed the way that Americans in past generations talked about other immigrants, including Italian immigrants like John Kelly’s maternal grandfather.

— zack beauchamp, Vox, "What John Kelly really means when he says immigrants don’t “assimilate”," 11 May 2018
There are nods to her maternal grandfather, who died before Chao was born.

— liz ohanesian, Los Angeles Magazine, "Artist Sara Chao Collects Souvenirs From a Life Spent in L.A.," 11 May 2018
Johnson followed in the footsteps of his father, Rocky, and maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, by becoming a professional wrestler in the late '90s.

— lisa respers france, CNN, "Dwayne Johnson reveals battle with depression, mother's suicide attempt," 2 Apr. 2018
Dillard’s maternal grandfather, who died the year before Dillard was born, was among the striking sanitation workers.

— adelle m. banks, Houston Chronicle, "Remembering King’s last sermon with renewed hope," 1 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of maternal

Middle English, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French maternel, from Medieval Latin maternalis, from Latin maternus, from mater mother — more at mother

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

maternal Synonyms

Synonyms

mother, motherly;

Related Words

parental;

female, feminine, womanish, womanlike, womanly;

matriarchal, matronly;

caring, giving, nurturing;

Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

MATERNAL Defined for English Language Learners

maternal

adjective

Definition of maternal for English Language Learners

: of or relating to a mother
: of or relating to a woman who is having a baby
: related through the mother

MATERNAL Defined for Kids

maternal

adjective ma·ter·nal \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl \

Definition of maternal for Students

1 : of or relating to a mother

maternal instincts

2 : related through the mother

maternal grandparents

—

maternally

adverb

Word Root of maternal

The Latin word mater, meaning “mother,” gives us the root mater or matr. Anyone or anything maternal, such as a grandparent, is related through the mother's side of the family. Maternity is the state of being a mother. A matriarch is a woman who is the mother and head of a family. A matron is a married woman who may be a mother.