/ pəˈtɜːnl; NAmE -ˈtɜːrnl/ adjective
1.
connected with being a father; typical of a kind father :
paternal love
He gave me a piece of paternal advice.
2.
related through the father's side of the family :
my paternal grandmother (= my father's mother)
► pa·ter·nal·ly adverb :
He smiled paternally at them.
—compare maternal
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from late Latin paternalis , from Latin paternus fatherly, belonging to a father, from pater father.