pa ‧ ter ‧ nal ‧ is ‧ m /pəˈtɜːn ə l-ɪz ə m $ -ɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
when people in charge of an organization or society protect the members and give them what they need but do not allow them any freedom or responsibility
—paternalistic /pəˌtɜːn ə lˈɪstɪk◂ $ -ɜːr-/ ( also paternalist /pəˈtɜːn ə ləst, pəˈtɜːn ə lɪst $ -ɜːr-/) adjective