maternal

adjective ma·ter·nal \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl \

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

Much of the character-building came from Gibson’s maternal grandmother, Beth Ryan.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "St. Paul's volunteer brings harmony to seniors," 22 Aug. 2017
I was definitely groomed from birth by my mother, aunts and countless maternal figures on how to eat, wash, and care for my skin.

— nuy cho, Redbook, "12 Korean Beauty Hacks For Flawless Skin," 18 Aug. 2017
Bloom’s parents (Fields’s maternal grandparents) died in a murder-suicide in 1984.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "What We Know About James Alex Fields, the Driver Charged in the Charlottesville Attack," 14 Aug. 2017
Maternal smoking is related to both lower fetal growth and to obesity in childhood.

— paul tullis, Washington Post, "To deal with childhood obesity, researchers eye prenatal and generational factors," 12 Aug. 2017
Before 1280, the two turkey populations were unrelated in the maternal line, the team found.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "'Vanished' people may live on in the American Southwest," 8 Aug. 2017
Catelyn Stark is able to fend off the attacker with her maternal steeliness, and, afterward, is misled by Littlefinger to believe that the knife belonged to Tyrion Lannister.

— bennett madison, HWD, "Game of Thrones Episode 704 Recap: Here Be Dragons," 7 Aug. 2017
Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters.

— rosa lyster, The Cut, "Why Weddings in Books Are Always Terrible," 20 July 2017
When maternal milk isn't available, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization have recommended that donated breast milk be given to babies.

— anna claire vollers, AL.com, "Rise in donated breast milk raises questions of fairness across Alabama," 19 July 2017

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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maternal Synonyms

Synonyms

motherly, mother

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.