Synonyms for motherly
- adjective
Most common
Definitions
- adj. 1
Befitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing, protective, loving.
Choose the right word
Motherly, being Anglo-Saxon, is the most familiar word of the two when both have the same meaning. Besides this, maternal is confined to the feelings of a mother toward her own children, whereas motherly has a secondary sense, denoting a care like that of a mother for her offspring.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- parental Since last year I am a member of parental community.
- maternal I've never had what I'd call a maternal instinct.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| motherly | rising | |
| parental | rising | |
| maternal | rising | |
| motherlike | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 8 letters
- maternal3, parental3
- 9 letters
- motherful, motherish
- 10 letters
- motherlike
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (maternal3 = 3 syllables).