1a : of or relating to a father offered his children some paternal advice paternal responsibilities. b : like that of a father paternal benevolence. 2 : received or inherited from one's male parent lived and worked on his paternal farm.

Does paternal mean mother or father?

Paternal originates from the Old French word of the same spelling, meaning "of a father." For example, your paternal grandparents are your father's parents. (Your mom's parents are your maternal grandparents.)

Is paternal father's side?

The dictionary term for paternal is "fatherly or from the father's side of the family." A family tree will typically contain the father's (paternal) and the mother's (maternal) living relatives and also ancestors for each person included in the family tree.