moth ‧ er ‧ ly /ˈmʌðəli $ -ðər-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ mother , ↑ motherhood , ↑ mothering ; adjective : ↑ motherly , ↑ motherless ; verb : ↑ mother ]
a motherly woman is loving and kind, like a good mother ⇨ maternal :
her motherly instincts
She was a plump, motherly woman in her fifties.
—motherliness noun [uncountable]