paternity

From Middle French paternité, from Old French, from Latin paternitās (“paternity”), from paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”) + -itās, from pater (“father”).

• IPA^(key): /pəˈtɜːnɪti/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /pəˈtɜ(ɹ)nəti/, [-ɾi]
• Hyphenation: pa‧tern‧i‧ty

paternity (countable and uncountable, plural paternities)

1. Fatherhood, the state or quality of being a father.
2. Parental descent from a father.
3. (law) Legal acknowledgement of a man's fatherhood of a child.
4. (figuratively) Authorship.

   The author asserted her right to paternity on the book's copyright page.

• paternity leave
• paternity suit
• paternity test

• affiliation
• maternity