parental

adjective

Definition of parentalnext
as in protective

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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 parental Virginia is one of 13 states with a reasonable childhood independence law, which is supposed to prevent the state from second-guessing every parental decision. — Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 For households, parental controls allow restricting access to inappropriate and adult content. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2026 One of the themes is parenthood and a way of conceiving motherhood and parental love as control and ambition that is projected onto one’s children. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 For years, Japan has taken steps to try to reverse its falling birth rate by expanding monthly child allowances, bringing IVF and other fertility treatments under the purview of public insurance, and expanding parental leave benefits. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 His father passed away this summer at 99 years old, one of three parental deaths among the league owners recently. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 The companies were accused of violating a law that requires online platforms aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under the age of 13. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The Kansas lawsuit arrives as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a separate parental-rights case from Washington state in its upcoming fall term. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026 Maryland provides legal representation to children involved in abuse and neglect, termination-of-parental-rights and related proceedings. — John Mattingly, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parental
  1. protective
  2. supportive
  3. maternal
  4. caring
Adjective
  • Though sympathetic to the onslaught of treatments Zai is facing, the meek, protective Minoti warns her of the repercussions of rebellion.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • She was eventually taken into the custody of child protective services in Texas.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of protective
Adjective
  • That’s City Controller Kenneth Mejia, an incumbent who earned more votes than Bass, Raman or then-candidate Spencer Pratt, and who’s supportive of Raman’s approach to the city budget.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Ahead of the ruling, Chuck Hatfield, an attorney for the referendum campaign, pointed to the fact that the lawsuit included plaintiffs and defendants who were both supportive of the gerrymandered map.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of supportive
Adjective
  • Widespread attention on the trial turned a national spotlight on maternal mental health.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The trial has generated intense interest for more than a month, deeply dividing the public and drawing attention to issues around maternal mental health after childbirth.
    — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of maternal
Adjective
  • Her pain becomes something to be shared with a caring audience, rather than privately medicated into oblivion.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There was Peyton Stewart, who was so caring that Thompson affectionately called her Mom.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of caring

Browse Nearby Words

parentages
parental
parented
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parental. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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