fatherly
adjective
fa·ther·ly
ˈfä-t͟hər-lē 
1
: of, relating to, or befitting a father
fatherly responsibilities
2
: resembling a father (as in affection or care)
a fatherly old man
fatherly
adverb
Examples of fatherly in a Sentence
He took a fatherly interest in the careers of younger writers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Iller captured attention online after sharing videos of Astro being fatherly towards Mars on TikTok (@wowcoolokaywow) and on their dedicated Instagram account (@halloweenkittties).
—
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Combine a heavy dose of paranoia with players outgrowing his rigid fatherly message, and now Malone is talking about games for a living.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
Today, with talk of a second Oscar nomination, the actor slips into a fatherly role in Hamnet playing the legendary playwright William Shakespeare, based on Maggie O'Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel of the same name.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
His father grieved by never mentioning her name again in the house, and the fatherly approval Bono craved was in short supply.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatherly
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Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Combine a heavy dose of paranoia with players outgrowing his rigid fatherly message, and now Malone is talking about games for a living.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
Today, with talk of a second Oscar nomination, the actor slips into a fatherly role in Hamnet playing the legendary playwright William Shakespeare, based on Maggie O'Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel of the same name.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
His father grieved by never mentioning her name again in the house, and the fatherly approval Bono craved was in short supply.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatherly
Cite this Entry
“Fatherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatherly. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fatherly
adjective
fa·ther·ly
ˈfät͟h-ər-lē
ˈfȧt͟h-
1
: of or resembling a father
fatherly responsibilities
2
: showing the affection or concern of a father
fatherly advice
fatherliness
noun
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