paternal

adjective

pa·​ter·​nal pə-ˈtər-nᵊl 

1

a

: of or relating to a father

offered his children some paternal advice

paternal responsibilities

b

: like that of a father

paternal benevolence

2

: received or inherited from one's male parent

lived and worked on his paternal farm

3

: related through one's father

paternal grandfather

paternally

pə-ˈtər-nᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of paternal in a Sentence

He did not neglect his paternal responsibilities after the divorce.

Recent Examples on the Web

So maybe that’s what the AI fathers and godfathers should be focusing on: not how to create artificial children, mothers and maternal instincts, but how to use their paternal instincts to build AI that gives way to humans, for better or worse? —Pia Lauritzen, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Before leaving Raleigh, Giovanni joined a text chat with a group of his paternal relatives, arranging for some of them to pick him up in Englewood, Fla., and bring him to his grandfather's house in Brevard County, more than three hours away. —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Beyond the Ryan Foster murder, Harrison is definitely in need of some paternal guidance. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025

Earlier in the documentary, Joel said his paternal grandfather, Karl Amson Joel, ran a successful fashion business called Joel Macht Fabrik in Nuremberg in the lead-up to the war. —EW.com, 27 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin paternalis, from Latin paternus paternal, from pater

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for paternal

• diurnal
• eternal
• external
• fraternal
• infernal
• internal
• maternal
• nocturnal
• pimpernel
• colonel
• journal
• kernel

Kids Definition

paternal

adjective

pa·​ter·​nal pə-ˈtərn-ᵊl 

1

: fatherly

paternal advice

2

: received or inherited from one's father

3

: related through the father

a paternal grandfather

paternally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

Etymology

from Latin paternalis "fatherly," from earlier paternus (same meaning), from pater "father" — related to padre, patron, pattern