motherly
adjective
moth·er·ly
ˈmə-t͟hər-lē 
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
motherly advice
2
: resembling a mother : maternal
motherliness
noun
Examples of motherly in a Sentence
She took her motherly duties very seriously.
she showed a sweet motherly tenderness toward the tiny kitten she was taking care of
Recent Examples on the Web
The portrayal appears to suggest that motherly attributes are solely within the realm of being loving, caring, comforting, protective, sheltering, and so on.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
In that situation, some new parents might have chosen to wait and see how things progressed, but Randall's motherly instincts told her action was required.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
In a final act of motherly sacrifice, Sue dies trying to defeat Galactus before quickly being brought back to life by her son.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Since Rhodes stirs such motherly feelings in her fans, she’s partnered with M&M’s for their M&M’S PB&J Packed Lunch Special, a free packed lunch that 500 fans in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tenn. can get on July 29.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for motherly
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
In that situation, some new parents might have chosen to wait and see how things progressed, but Randall's motherly instincts told her action was required.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
In a final act of motherly sacrifice, Sue dies trying to defeat Galactus before quickly being brought back to life by her son.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Since Rhodes stirs such motherly feelings in her fans, she’s partnered with M&M’s for their M&M’S PB&J Packed Lunch Special, a free packed lunch that 500 fans in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tenn. can get on July 29.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for motherly
Cite this Entry
“Motherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motherly. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motherly
adjective
moth·er·ly
ˈmət͟h-ər-lē
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
motherly affection
2
: resembling a mother
motherliness
noun
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