adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/məˈtɜːnəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:mə-tûr'nəl
General-American:/məˈtɝnəl/
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nəl
CMU ARPABET:M AH0 T ER1 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
His weakness seemed to bring out her maternal instincts.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: fatherly, paternal
2
adj
Meaning 2
Related through the mother, or her side of the family.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Toby is my maternal uncle.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: paternal
3
adj
Meaning 3
Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: fetal, foetal
4
noun
Meaning 4
A mother.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, informal, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A person related through the mother, or her side of the family; a maternal relative.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
parental guidance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: parental, paternal
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
characteristic of a mother- Dorothy Sayers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
warm maternal affection for her guest
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: paternal
8
adjective
Meaning 8
relating to or derived from one's mother
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
maternal genes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
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.
Across languages
Translations
81 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أُمِّيّ
(ʔummiyy)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Arabic:
أُمُومِيّ
(ʔumūmiyy)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Armenian:
մայրական
(mayrakan)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Belarusian:
мацяры́нскі
(macjarýnski)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Belarusian:
ма́тчынскі
(mátčynski)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Bulgarian:
ма́йчински
(májčinski)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Bulgarian:
ма́йчин
(májčin)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Catalan:
maternal
— of or pertaining to a mother
Chinese Mandarin:
母親的 /母亲的
(mǔqīn de)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Czech:
mateřský
— of or pertaining to a mother
Dutch:
moederlijk
— of or pertaining to a mother
Estonian:
emalik
— of or pertaining to a mother
Estonian:
emapoolne
— of or pertaining to a mother
Finnish:
äidillinen
— of or pertaining to a mother
French:
maternel
— of or pertaining to a mother
Galician:
maternal
— of or pertaining to a mother
Galician:
materno
— of or pertaining to a mother
German:
mütterlich
— of or pertaining to a mother
Greek:
μητρικός
(mitrikós)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Hebrew:
אִמָּהִי
(imahi)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Hungarian:
anyai
— of or pertaining to a mother
Irish:
máthartha
— of or pertaining to a mother
Irish:
máithriúil
— of or pertaining to a mother
Italian:
materno
— of or pertaining to a mother
Japanese:
母性
(bosei)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Latin:
māternālis
— of or pertaining to a mother
Latin:
māternus
— of or pertaining to a mother
Lithuanian:
motiniškas
— of or pertaining to a mother
Macedonian:
мајчински
(majčinski)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Persian:
مادرانه
(mâdarâne)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Plautdietsch:
muttalich
— of or pertaining to a mother
Polish:
macierzyński
— of or pertaining to a mother
Polish:
matczyny
— of or pertaining to a mother
Portuguese:
maternal
— of or pertaining to a mother
Romanian:
matern
— of or pertaining to a mother
Russian:
матери́нский
(materínskij)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Scottish Gaelic:
màthaireil
— of or pertaining to a mother
Serbo-Croatian:
ма̀те̄ри́њӣ
— of or pertaining to a mother
Serbo-Croatian:
ма̏терӣнскӣ
— of or pertaining to a mother
Serbo-Croatian:
màtērinjī
— of or pertaining to a mother
Serbo-Croatian:
mȁterīnskī
— of or pertaining to a mother
Slovak:
materský
— of or pertaining to a mother
Slovene:
materinski
— of or pertaining to a mother
Slovene:
materin
— of or pertaining to a mother
Spanish:
maternal
— of or pertaining to a mother
Spanish:
materno
— of or pertaining to a mother
Tajik:
модарона
(modarona)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Ukrainian:
матери́нський
(materýnsʹkyj)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Ukrainian:
ма́терній
(máternij)
— of or pertaining to a mother
Welsh:
mamol
— of or pertaining to a mother
Armenian:
մոր կողմից
(mor koġmicʻ)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Bulgarian:
по ма́йка
(po májka)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Bulgarian:
от ма́йчина стана́
(ot májčina staná)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Catalan:
matern
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Chinese Mandarin:
母系
(mǔxì)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Dutch:
langs moeders kant
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Finnish:
äidinpuoleinen
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
French:
maternel
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
German:
mütterlich
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Greek:
εκ μητρός
(ek mitrós)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Greek:
από την πλευρά της μητέρας
(apó tin plevrá tis mitéras)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Hebrew:
אִמָּהִי
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Hungarian:
anyai
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Italian:
materno
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Japanese:
母系の
(bokei no)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Japanese:
母方の
(hahakata no)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Latin:
māternus
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Persian:
مادری
(mâdari)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Portuguese:
materno
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Romanian:
matern
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Russian:
с матери́нской стороны́
(s materínskoj storoný)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Scottish Gaelic:
taobh màthar
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Scottish Gaelic:
-màthar
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Serbo-Croatian:
ма̀те̄ри́њӣ
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Serbo-Croatian:
màtērinjī
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Spanish:
maternal
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Spanish:
materno
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Tajik:
модарӣ
(modari)
— related through the mother, or her side of the family
Hungarian:
anyai
— derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy
Serbo-Croatian:
ма̀те̄рњӣ
— derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy
Serbo-Croatian:
màtērnjī
— derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy