paternal
part of speech
adjective (paternal)
meaning for a pupil
1) Like a father or to do with being a father: caring and protective. tree →
2) Related through your father: "my paternal grandmother" is your father's mother. tree →
sense in the lessons
In family trees, paternal relatives are on your father's side; maternal relatives are on your mother's side. In science, some animals show paternal care, like male seahorses carrying the eggs. In stories, a paternal teacher or king cares for others like a father.
examples
- My paternal grandparents live in Scotland. tree →
- Male seahorses show amazing paternal care. tree →
- The old captain had a paternal feeling for his young crew. tree →
- Paternal leave lets dads stay at home with a new baby. tree →
- My paternal aunt is my dad's sister. tree →
- Emperor penguin fathers are very paternal; they keep the egg warm. tree →
- As the father of men, he takes a paternal interest in the actions and well-being of mortals. tree →
note
Opposite side: maternal (mother's side). Noun: paternity (being a father; paternity leave). Paternal is an adjective; you cannot say "a paternal" as a noun.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «paternal» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.