pa‧ter‧nal‧is‧m /pəˈtɜːnəl-ɪzəm $ -ɜːr-/ noun [uncountable]
when people in charge of an organization or society protect the members and give them what they need but do not allow them any freedom or responsibility
—paternalistic /pəˌtɜːnəlˈɪstɪk◂ $ -ɜːr-/ (also paternalist /pəˈtɜːnələst, pəˈtɜːnəlɪst $ -ɜːr-/) adjective

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲