Paternal vs Fraternal - What's the difference?
paternal | fraternal |
Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family
Fatherly; behaving as or characteristic of a father.
Received or inherited from one's father.
* Dryden
Acting as a father
Of brothers (fraternal twins ).
Related through a brother (fraternal nephew ).
In need of a brother or sister or friend.
Like brothers (fraternal cousins ).
Brotherly, befitting or of a brother or brothers.
*
Friendly or brotherly (e.g. fraternal relations between socialist parties in different countries).
Being or of a society of men linked in brotherly union ( ).
Platonic (as fraternal love - brotherly love).
Fraternal is a antonym of paternal.
As adjectives the difference between paternal and fraternal
is that paternal is of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family while fraternal is of brothers (fraternal twins).paternal
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- paternal grandfather
- their small paternal field of corn
- paternal filicide
Derived terms
* paternalism * paternalistic * paternally * paternal aunt * paternal cousin * paternal grandfather * paternal grandmother * paternal uncleAntonyms
* maternal – motherCoordinate terms
* avuncular – uncle * maternal – mother * materteral – auntAnagrams
* ----fraternal
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- a delighted shout from the children swung him toward the door again. His sister, Mrs. Gerard, stood there in carriage gown and sables, radiant with surprise. ¶ "Phil! You! Exactly like you, Philip, to come strolling in from the antipodes—dear fellow!" recovering from the fraternal embrace and holding both lapels of his coat in her gloved hands.