Nearby Words

maternal

[muh-tur-nl] Example Sentences Origin

ma·ter·nal

[muh-tur-nl]
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, having the qualities of, or befitting a mother: maternal instincts.
2.
related through a mother: his maternal aunt.
3.
derived from a mother: maternal genes.

Origin:
1475–85; < Medieval Latin māternālis, equivalent to Latin mātern(us) (māter mother + -nus adj. suffix) + -ālis -al1

ma·ter·nal·ism, noun
ma·ter·nal·is·tic, adjective
ma·ter·nal·ly, adverb
non·ma·ter·nal, adjective
non·ma·ter·nal·ly, adverb
EXPAND
qua·si-ma·ter·nal, adjective
qua·si-ma·ter·nal·ly, adverb
un·ma·ter·nal, adjective
un·ma·ter·nal·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Maternal is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Example Sentences
  • In mentioning organizations working on maternal health, there are others that also deserve a shout-out.
  • Yet the vast amount of the scholarship on human parenting focuses on maternal behavior.
  • The south still has one of the world's highest maternal mortality and infant mortality rates.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
maternal (məˈtɜːnəl)
 
adj
1.  of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of a mother
2.  related through the mother's side of the family: his maternal uncle
 
[C15: from Medieval Latin māternālis, from Latin māternus, from māter mother]
 
ma'ternalism
 
n
 
maternal'istic
 
adj
 
ma'ternally
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

maternal
late 15c., from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

maternal ma·ter·nal (mə-tûr'nəl)
adj.

  1. Relating to or characteristic of a mother.

  2. Inherited from one's mother.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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