# paternal

> English word · Adjective · IPA /pəˈtɜː.nəl/ · frequency rank #20,731

## Definitions
1. Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
2. Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
3. Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
4. Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.

## Etymology
From Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”), from Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”), from pater (“father”).

## Easily confused with
- **Paterno** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paternal-vs-paterno)

## Common misspellings (12)
`apternal`, `paetrnal`, `patenral`, `pateranl`, `paternall`, `paternla`, `paternnal`, `paterrnal`, `patrenal`, `patternal`, `ppaternal`, `ptaernal`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/paternal