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

Synonyms of motherly

• maternal

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

For six years, in more than 200 episodes, Lockhart dispensed motherly wisdom to young Timmy (Jon Provost), who would engage in less-than-proper behavior or find himself in danger (but never, as the trope suggested, fallen down a well), only to be rescued by his faithful collie. —David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025

Lockhart wasn’t out of work for long, quickly moving to another motherly role, the biochemist Maureen Robinson on the 1965-68 series Lost in Space. —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025

Keaton’s motherly roles have been immensely important to me. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 16 Oct. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for motherly

• brotherly
• southerly

Kids 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