maternal
IPA: mʌtˈɝnʌɫ
noun
- (dated, informal) A mother.
- A person related through the mother, or her side of the family; a maternal relative.
adjective
- Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly.
- Related through the mother, or her side of the family.
- (anatomy, medicine) Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy.
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Examples of "maternal" in Sentences
- This, my friends, is what they call maternal instinct.
- IV. ii.35 (435,9) From her maternal sap] [W: material] I suppose no reader doubts but the word should be _maternal_.
- If the grizzlies are united by an anti-establishment fury rooted in maternal concern, then it's fair to ask what their records show they've done for kids.
- Violence against women and girls, inadequate or more expensive healthcare, forced marriage, declines in maternal health, sex trafficking, and the inability to access funding for economic opportunities and education are just a few.
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