Word
paternity
Phoneticspa·ter·ni·ty, stress on the second syllable
US/pəˈtɝnɪti/
UK/pətˈɜːnɪti/
Definitions
01the state of being a father
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the condition of being a father, especially the time when a man cares for his new baby.
n. the state or quality of being a father; fatherhood.
“He decided to take two weeks of paternity leave to help with the newborn.”
“The company's updated policy offers generous paternity leave, encouraging fathers to take an active role in early childcare.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02legal or biological origin
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal · Technical
n. the fact of who a person's father is, often proven by a medical test.
n. the legal or biological identification of a man as the father of a specific child.
“The court ordered a paternity test to settle the dispute.”
“Establishing paternity was a crucial step in the legal proceedings to ensure the child received proper financial support.”
03origin of an idea
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary · Formal
n. the source or creator of an idea, book, or invention.
n. the origin or authorship of a work, idea, or project.
“Historians still debate the paternity of this famous political theory.”
“The paternity of the manuscript remained obscure until carbon dating confirmed it was written in the fourteenth century.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“While you do pay out a lot in social security payments as an autónomo , the good news is that you do get several benefits back, including maternity and paternity pay.” “Albert II abdicated as king of the Belgians in 2013 as the paternity issue became a royal scandal.” Etymology
From Middle French paternité, from Old French, from Latin paternitās (“paternity”), from paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”) + -itās, from pater (“father”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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