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Adjective: paternal  pu'tur-n(u)l
  1. Belonging to or inherited from one's father
    "spent his childhood on the paternal farm"; "paternal traits"
     
  2. Characteristic of a father
    "His paternal instincts kicked in when he held his newborn daughter"
     
  3. Relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent
    "paternal guidance";
    - parental, maternal
     
  4. Related on the father's side
    "a paternal aunt";
    - agnate, agnatic [rare]

See also: fatherlike, fatherliness, fatherly, paternal quality, paternalistic, patriarchal, related

Antonym: maternal

Encyclopedia: Paternal