paternity
n. uncountablen. the state of being a father. It is often used when talking about legal rights or the biological link between a man and his child.
n. the state or condition of being a father; the legal or biological relationship between a male parent and his offspring.
He had to take a paternity test to prove he was the father.
The company offers two weeks of paid paternity leave to all new fathers to help them bond with their infants.
Establishing legal paternity is a critical step in ensuring that the child has access to inheritance rights and medical history from the paternal side of the family.
From Middle French paternité, from Old French, from Latin paternitās (“paternity”), from paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”) + -itās, from pater (“father”).
Often used as a modifier in compound nouns like 'paternity leave', 'paternity suit', or 'paternity test'.