paternity

noun

pa·ter·ni·ty | \ pə-ˈtər-nə-tē

Definition of paternity

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the quality or state of being a father

2 : origin or descent from a father

paternity

adjective

Definition of paternity (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : granted to a father paternity leave paternity rights

2 : of or relating to the determination of paternity a paternity suit

Examples of paternity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

There are an innumerable people who are out on maternity or paternity leave…and the intent of those leaves is to give people the time and space to be able to bond with their children. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, "Kirstjen Nielsen and Ivanka Trump on Border Separations, Katrina Lake's Pregnancy: Broadsheet June 19," 19 June 2018 Noteworthy aspects of the LaneTerralever company culture and benefits include a matching 401(k) savings plan, paid maternity and paternity leave, and flexible schedules. — azcentral, "Top Companies to Work for in Arizona-Small Companies," 7 June 2018 There are no criminal penalties for companies that don’t comply with maternity or paternity leave standards. — Washington Post, "Dad takes Japan Inc. to court alleging paternity harassment," 6 June 2018 Uber is also offering some other benefits, like a lump sum of €1,000 or £1,000 for maternity or paternity leave. — Sam Schechner, WSJ, "Uber Bows to Pressure, Offers Some Health Benefits to European Drivers," 23 May 2018 Additionally, there is no mandated maternity or paternity leave in the U.S. Nor do American mothers have access to affordable childcare. — Sarah Hosseini, Harper's BAZAAR, "It's Time to Retire the Title of MILF," 11 May 2018 And their numbers grew substantially after a DNA test in 1998 bolstered the case for Jefferson’s paternity of the children of Sally Hemings, his slave. — Farah Stockman, New York Times, "‘She Was Part of This Family’: Jefferson Descendants Reflect on Sally Hemings Exhibit," 16 June 2018 The evidence began to pile up when Apple found CCTV footage of Zhang on the company's California campus during what was supposed to be his paternity leave. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Ex-Apple Employee Charged With Stealing Self-Driving Tech," 11 July 2018 In April, Zhang took paternity leave and traveled to China. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "Ex-Apple Employee Accused of Stealing Self-Driving Car Tech," 10 July 2018

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