maternal

/mətˈɝnəl/ · 3 syllables

Meaning

adjective

1. characteristic of a mother- Dorothy Sayers
   “warm maternal affection for her guest”
2. relating to or derived from one's mother
   “maternal genes”
3. relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent
   “parental guidance”
4. related on the mother's side
   “my maternal grandmother”

Synonyms for maternal

• maternalistic
• motherlike
• motherly
• parental
• paternal
• enate
• enatic
• related

Antonyms of maternal

• paternal

Words that rhyme with maternal

• infernal
• external
• internal
• journal
• paternal
• fraternal
• kernel
• diurnal
• eternal
• nocturnal
• vernal
• colonel
• bernal
• burnell
• durnell
• durnil
• pernell
• purnell