maternal
adjective
ma·ter·nal
| \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl
\
\
Definition of maternal
1
: of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother : motherly
maternal love maternal instincts
2a
: related through a mother
his maternal aunt
b
: inherited or derived from the female parent
maternal genes
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from maternal
maternally
\ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl-ē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of maternal in a Sentence
Doctors are concerned about the effects of the drug on maternal health.
her maternal instincts told her that something was wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
And Illinois takes steps to address the high infant and maternal death rate. — cleveland.com, "Would the USMCA trade deal help farmers?: The Flyover," 28 Aug. 2019 The maternal mortality rate has more than doubled in the U.S. over the last 30 years, despite medical advances, often due to insufficient health care. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "OB-GYN Accused of Negligence After Mom Dies Hours After Giving Birth," 27 Aug. 2019 Finland is one of the five countries with the lowest maternal mortality rates, and Finns have longer life expectancy than Americans. — Saskya Vandoorne And Melissa Bell, CNN, "The 'dark side' of Finland's famous free health care," 15 Aug. 2019 Improve data collection to reduce maternal mortality rates. — Chris Sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Here's how Pete Buttigieg would improve rural health care," 9 Aug. 2019 In 2017, the national maternal mortality rate was 21.6 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 8.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in California. — Adria Watson, The Mercury News, "A black mother told not to scream in labor asks: Can California fix racism in maternity care?," 11 July 2019 Her dad, Charles, is a successful real estate developer; her maternal grandfather, Sir Jocelyn Stevens, was a publishing magnate; her grandmother, Janie Sheffield, was Princess Margaret’s lady-in-waiting. — Julia Felsenthal, Marie Claire, "Cara Delevingne Bares All," 13 Aug. 2019 Prince George watched the regatta with his younger sister, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, from a boat with their maternal grandfather, Michael Middleton, according to People. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, "Come Sail Away With Seafaring Prince George in a Captain Hat," 8 Aug. 2019 The newest addition, whose full name is Henry Harold Hager, is named after her husband, Henry Hager, and her maternal grandfather, Harold Welch. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Former President George W. Bush shares photo of first grandson," 5 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maternal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for maternal
maternal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of maternal
: of or relating to a mother
: of or relating to a woman who is having a baby
: related through the mother
See the full definition for maternal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
maternal
adjective
ma·ter·nal
| \ mə-ˈtər-nᵊl
\
\
Kids Definition of maternal
1
: of or relating to a mother
maternal instincts
2
: related through the mother
maternal grandparents
maternal
adjective
ma·ter·nal
| \ mə-ˈtərn-ᵊl
\
\
Medical Definition of maternal
1
: of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother
maternal instinct
2a
: related through a mother
his maternal aunt
b
: inherited or derived from the female parent
maternal genes
Other Words from maternal
maternally
\ -ᵊl-ē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Keep scrolling for more