Word a Day
paternal
What does paternal mean?
paternal (adjective): of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use paternal in a sentence?
- My paternal grandmother enjoys tea ceremonies. (Tatoeba sentence #4201930 by Tigrin, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce paternal?
/pəˈtɝnəl/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does paternal come from?
From Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Words related to paternal
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “paternal”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “paternal” mean?
not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble
Not quite: that's what modest means.
emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others
Not quite: that's what callous means.
of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family
Right! That's what “paternal” means.
experiencing a sensation of whirling and of being giddy, unbalanced, or lightheaded
Not quite: that's what dizzy means.
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