maternal
[adjective]
Synonyms: motherly

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ma‧ter‧nal /məˈtɜːnl $ -ɜːr-/ adjective
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: maternel, from Latin maternus, from mater 'mother']

1. typical of the way a good mother behaves or feels ⇒ paternal:
Annie was wonderfully warm and maternal.
She seems to have a strong maternal instinct (=desire to have babies and take care of them).

2. [only before noun] relating to a mother or to being a mother ⇒ paternal:
the relationship between maternal age and infant mortality

3. maternal grandfather/aunt etc your mother’s father, sister etc
—maternally adverb

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲