maternal

adjective

mə-ˈtər-nᵊl How to pronounce maternal (audio)
Definition of maternalnext
as in mother
of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother her maternal instincts told her that something was wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of maternal Should the recent surge in cases of cyclosporiasis be added to maternal worries? — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Our maternal mortality rates are among the highest worldwide, exponentially worse for Black women. — Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Washington Post, 15 July 2026 John Bunting, Josh O’Connor’s maternal grandfather, was a sculptor who instructed Antony Gormley. — Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026 At age 6, Biles and her younger sister, Adria, were adopted by their maternal grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for maternal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maternal
  1. parental
  2. feminine
  3. motherly
Adjective
  • Each flagged chat undergoes manual human review before an alert is dispatched, with Meta prioritizing parental notification even if intent is ambiguous.
    — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • That might mean talking about parental leave, graduate school, starting a business, or when one partner might scale back at work.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of parental
Adjective
  • Once worn by Sharon Stone on the runway, the suit look got an edgy and feminine twist thanks to the patent leather thigh-high boots, which featured a sharp pointed toe and stiletto heel in addition to slight crinkling throughout the shaft.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
  • And Helen Jon is a resortwear label that offers flattering, feminine suits with real structure and bright hues.
    — Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026
Definition of feminine
Adjective
  • Donna showed her motherly support in a custom split jersey supporting both teams.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • Things take an unexpected turn when Aemond, mistaking motherly love for romantic love, leans in and kisses Alicent, leaving her shocked and horrified.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
Definition of motherly

Browse Nearby Words

matériel
maternal
maternity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maternal. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on maternal

Nglish: Translation of maternal for Spanish Speakers

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