Adjective: paternal pu'tur-n(u)l
- Belonging to or inherited from one's father
"spent his childhood on the paternal farm"; "paternal traits"
- Characteristic of a father
"His paternal instincts kicked in when he held his newborn daughter"
- Relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent
"paternal guidance";
- parental, maternal
- 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