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Definitions

paternal

[puh-tur-nl] / pəˈtɜr nl /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Prader-Willi syndrome stems from the loss of function of specific genes on the paternal copy of chromosome 15.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

The parents of Child C, who described their son as a "sunny child", said Bennett had "seemed clumsy but very paternal", which was something they initially liked.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Sam Dalrymple has real Raj pedigree, his paternal grandfather being Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple, the aide-de-camp to Frank Messervy, the first commander in chief of the army of independent Pakistan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The others are the author’s paternal grandparents, José María and Petra Peña.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Some of the ablest of New York’s black hustlers took a liking to me, and knowing that I still was green by their terms, soon began in a paternal way to “straighten Red out.”

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey




Vocabulary lists containing paternal