MATERNAL DEFINITIONS - 10 definitions found
maternal adj 1: characteristic of a mother; "warm maternal affection for her guest"- Dorothy Sayers [ant: paternal] 2: relating to or derived from one's mother; "maternal genes" 3: relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent; "parental guidance" [syn: parental, maternal, paternal] [ant: filial] 4: related on the mother's side; "my maternal grandmother" [syn: enate, enatic, maternal(p)] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) maternal adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French maternel, from Medieval Latin maternalis, from Latin maternus, from mater mother — more at mother Date: 15th century 1. of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother ; motherly 2. a. related through a mother <his maternal aunt> b. inherited or derived from the female parent <maternal genes> • maternally adverb Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary maternal 1. Maternal is used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of those of a kind mother towards her child. She had little maternal instinct... Her feelings towards him were almost maternal. ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Maternal is used to describe things that relate to the mother of a baby. Maternal smoking can damage the unborn child. ADJ: ADJ n 3. A maternal relative is one who is related through a person's mother rather than their father. Her maternal grandfather was Mayor of Karachi. ADJ: ADJ n English Explanatory Dictionary maternal məˈtə:nl adj. 1 of or like a mother. 2 motherly. 3 related through the mother (maternal uncle). 4 of the mother in pregnancy and childbirth. øømaternalism n. maternalistic adj. maternally adv. [ME f. OF maternel or L maternus f. mater mother] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Maternal \Ma*ter"nal\, a. [F. maternel, L. maternus, fr. mater mother. See Mother.] Of or pertaining to a mother; becoming to a mother; motherly; as, maternal love; maternal tenderness. Syn: See Motherly. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms maternal a. Motherly. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) maternal məˈtə:nl adj. motherly, warm, nurturing, caring, understanding, affectionate, tender, kind, kindly, devoted, fond, doting; maternalistic: Her interest in him is strictly maternal. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 43 Moby Thesaurus words for "maternal": adoring, affectionate, ancestorial, ancestral, caring, conjugal, demonstrative, devoted, doting, faithful, fatherlike, fatherly, filial, fond, grandfatherly, grandmotherly, grandparental, husbandly, kind, kindly, languishing, lovelorn, lovesick, lovesome, loving, maternalistic, melting, mother, motherlike, motherly, nurturing, parent, parental, paternal, patriarchal, romantic, sentimental, soft, tender, understanding, uxorious, warm, wifely |
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