paternity

1 of 2

noun

pa·​ter·​ni·​ty pə-ˈtər-nə-tē How to pronounce paternity (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being a father
2
: origin or descent from a father

paternity

2 of 2

adjective

1
: granted to a father
paternity leave
paternity rights
2
: of or relating to the determination of paternity
a paternity suit

Examples of paternity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Derek’s parents died the year before, and in going through his mother’s things, Derek read her diary, learned of her brief affair with the billionaire, and confirmed his paternity with a DNA test. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Beginning in the late 1980s Garvey became entangled in legal battles over paternity and child support, all while embroiled in a bitter divorce and visitation disputes with his first wife and Krisha’s mother, Cynthia Garvey. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024 The announcement came together after zoo staff went roughly four months unsure about Siska’s paternity. Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2023 His dubious paychecks and I.R.S. woes and benders and paternity drama and naked selfies make up a tragicomic monument to human frailty, one that seems out of place even in the hall of ne’er-do-well White House relatives—your Billy Carters, your Roger Clintons. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2023 My character was a loyal employee of Cedars Hospital, a place where paternity results were routinely switched, nobody was ever asked about their insurance and every patient had a private room. Raul A. Reyes, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023 From 2010 to February of this year, the UN has recorded 463 paternity claims against its personnel, of which 55 have been verified. David Blood, CNN, 15 Sep. 2023 James Paxton is on the paternity list, though he’s expected to pitch in Friday against Oakland. Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2023 Former talk show host Maury Povich was brought in by the Denver Zoo to help in a paternity announcement for one of their orangutans. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 22 Dec. 2023
Adjective
The myth that 10 percent of children the product of 'non-paternity events' is rather persistent. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paternity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1544, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paternity was in 1544

Dictionary Entries Near paternity

Cite this Entry

“Paternity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paternity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paternity

noun
pa·​ter·​ni·​ty
pə-ˈtər-nət-ē
1
: the state of being a father
2
: origin from a father

Legal Definition

paternity

noun
pa·​ter·​ni·​ty pə-ˈtər-nə-tē How to pronounce paternity (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being a father
2
: origin or descent from a father
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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