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
The two then had a sweet chat about Mikayla's sourdough progress complete with fatherly encouragement about her starter.
—
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
But Pascal, for all the twinkle in his eye, often plays relatively sexless characters — from the fatherly energy of The Last of Us to the ascetic qualities of The Mandalorian.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 June 2025
Indeed, Eugenio, whose large-scale figurative paintings have been exhibited across Europe, Latin America, and the US, exerts a fatherly influence across the campo.
—Alessandra Schade, Vogue, 7 June 2025
In fact, that fatherly presence even extended to their time together during a press trip to Japan for the 1989 classic.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 29 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatherly
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Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
But Pascal, for all the twinkle in his eye, often plays relatively sexless characters — from the fatherly energy of The Last of Us to the ascetic qualities of The Mandalorian.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 June 2025
Indeed, Eugenio, whose large-scale figurative paintings have been exhibited across Europe, Latin America, and the US, exerts a fatherly influence across the campo.
—Alessandra Schade, Vogue, 7 June 2025
In fact, that fatherly presence even extended to their time together during a press trip to Japan for the 1989 classic.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 29 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for fatherly
Cite this Entry
“Fatherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatherly. Accessed 20 Jun. 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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