pa·ter·ni·ty
pə-ˈtər-nə-tē 
1
: the quality or state of being a father
2
: origin or descent from a father
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
Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
In other roster moves, the Giants reinstated Mike Yastrzemski from the paternity list following the birth Friday of his second child and first son with his wife, Paige.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Get a full briefing about maternity or paternity benefits from human resources.
—Becky Batcha and Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Hill settles paternity suit Aside from the divorce filing kerfuffle, the All-Pro wide receiver also entered a settlement agreement on Thursday with Brittany Lackner, who in January 2023 filed a paternity suit against him.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel Got Married in a 2021 Wedding Ceremony
Most recently, Josh has faced a paternity lawsuit from his ex-wife, Annica Bowling, documents obtained by PEOPLE show.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Later in 2023, paternity lawsuits were filed against Hill by two different women.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
This absence of visible ovulation cues in humans hints at evolutionary strategies for social structure and reproductive behavior, encouraging paternal investment by obscuring paternity, reducing infanticide risks, and promoting female choice in mating.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Another problem: the Thriller album was released in 1982, a full six years before the advent of DNA blood-typing used to prove paternity.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2012
Noun
Abby Hensel’s husband Josh Bowling is facing a paternity suit.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
In other roster moves, the Giants reinstated Mike Yastrzemski from the paternity list following the birth Friday of his second child and first son with his wife, Paige.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Get a full briefing about maternity or paternity benefits from human resources.
—Becky Batcha and Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Hill settles paternity suit Aside from the divorce filing kerfuffle, the All-Pro wide receiver also entered a settlement agreement on Thursday with Brittany Lackner, who in January 2023 filed a paternity suit against him.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel Got Married in a 2021 Wedding Ceremony
Most recently, Josh has faced a paternity lawsuit from his ex-wife, Annica Bowling, documents obtained by PEOPLE show.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Later in 2023, paternity lawsuits were filed against Hill by two different women.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
This absence of visible ovulation cues in humans hints at evolutionary strategies for social structure and reproductive behavior, encouraging paternal investment by obscuring paternity, reducing infanticide risks, and promoting female choice in mating.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Another problem: the Thriller album was released in 1982, a full six years before the advent of DNA blood-typing used to prove paternity.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 21 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The myth that 10 percent of children the product of 'non-paternity events' is rather persistent.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2012
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paternity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near paternity
Cite this Entry
“Paternity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paternity. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
paternity
noun
pa·ter·ni·ty
pə-ˈtər-nə-tē
1
: the quality or state of being a father
2
: origin or descent from a father
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share