maternal
adj.-
1 motherly feelings (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatehaving or showing the kind and protective feelings of a mother.
characteristic of or befitting a mother; exhibiting protective or nurturing behavior associated with motherhood.
ExampleShe felt a strong maternal instinct to protect the small child.
ExampleEven without biological children of her own, she displayed a deeply maternal attitude toward the younger students in her care.
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2 mother's side of the family (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediaterelated to you through your mother rather than your father.
related through the mother's lineage or side of the family.
ExampleMy maternal grandfather was born in a small village in Italy.
ExampleThe inheritance dispute was complicated by the fact that the property had been passed down exclusively through the maternal line for three generations.
- matrilineal
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3 medical/biological (adj.) C1 Advanced Technical Medicinerelated to a mother's body during pregnancy or birth.
pertaining to the mother as a biological entity, specifically in the context of pregnancy, gestation, or the postpartum period.
ExampleThe doctor checked the maternal heart rate during the check-up.
ExampleMaternal health services have seen significant improvements in funding, focusing specifically on reducing complications during the third trimester.
PIE word *méh₂tēr The adjective is derived from Late Middle English maternal, maternall, from Middle French maternel (“maternal”) (modern French maternel (“maternal; native”)), or from its etymon Late Latin māternālis (“maternal”), from Latin māternus (“maternal; related to the mother or her side of the family”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns). Māternus is derived from māter (“mother”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr (“mother”)) + -rnus (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is cognate with Italian maternale, materno, Portuguese maternal, materno, Spanish maternal, materno. The noun is derived from the adjective.